Breaking Point (Sequel)
by Kayori Aechaa
Summary: After a year of happiness and good times, suddenly everything comes crashing down when Hisui Nagare makes his move against the allied Kings. His target; the Red Queen, Kaori Suoh. [Sequel to SERIES OF FORTUNATE EVENTS - Rated M just to be safe :)] - WILL BE UNDERGOING MAJOR EDIT IN 2017 - 2018 :)
1. CH 0 - PROLOGUE

**Well, here it is. The anticipated sequel to a series that I never intended would become just that! A lot is about to happen in these next few weeks of chapters, so prepare yourselves! ;)**

 **Just to throw this out there right off the bat, I WILL be following Return of Kings to some extent, but obviously since I have original characters in the mix and one of them happens to be the new Gold King, it won't be possible to flow with the real story line.**

 **But that's why they call them fan fictions, right? ;)**

 **Also, don't you guys love the fact that I never stick to what I say I will and post early? LOOL I COULDN'T HELP IT! I was getting excited! :D**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT**

 **Prologue**

* * *

It was a cool summer evening when pandemonium broke out in Shizume City. It had been the Green clan's second attempt at acquiring the Dresden Slates, but this time were surprised when they were met with an unexpected, powerful resistance. Unlike their first time when Hisui Nagare clashed head-on with Daikaku Kokujoji, there were three new faces added to the fray. It had been a setback to their plans having seen firsthand that there was now a new Gold King so soon after the passing of the previous one. Not only did she know who and why they were there, but she rivaled the previous King's power and was able to hold the Green King at bay.

Only after the Gray King stepped forward did Blake Tadashi's powers get pushed to their limit, when the Blue clan arrived with none other than Adolf K. Weissman. It was then that they'd realized they had arrived too late, because the victor had already been declared as Blake stood there watching Tenkei Iwafune retrieving Nagare's tattered body to retreat.

It was during their second attempt weeks later that Blake personally requested Mikoto Suoh's clan be a part of the invasion this time. At first, she was compelled to ask the Red King in hopes to see his true power in action, but now that he had bonded with a Queen, her curiosity rose to an extreme. She wanted to see if he would be enough to rival even her own powers, being the last line of defense before Nagare or Tenkei could reach the room where the slates lay dormant.

After doing some digging with Shiro, it had been discovered in his sister Claudia's notes that her hypothesis for uniting a King and Queen together produced immense benefits to not only his Sword of Damocles, but the clansmen as well. Shiro deduced that Kaori not only bolstered Mikoto's power tenfold from their shared inner sanctum, but also unknowingly restored his sword to its perfect state. It also struck a chord to the fact that they hadn't even seen her full potential yet, making her both an asset and very dangerous should she lose control.

Having also done some digging on the Chiharu clan, Blake was also curious to notice that Reisi Munakata's lover, Eri, had also bolstered the Blue clan significantly due to her inherited traits.

It would seem that both clans were a force to be reckon with.

In the weeks that passed by, there was talk of JUNGLE making another move and were looking to create an opportunity to make an opening through the allied clan's line of defense. It was on a particular day as Nagare watched a certain news feed that a plan began to formulate in his head.

Truth be told, it had been one of his more dangerous, reckless missions for JUNGLE players seeking points and resulted in a massive drop in followers. The players who had been brave enough to challenge the mission and managed to get close enough to the target were either caught by HOMRA members and _disposed of_ , or captured and jailed by Scepter 4 for questioning.

The day Hisui Nagare finally saw his window of opportunity to fully exploit his highest ranking clansmen to their utmost potential was the day that a rumor circulating that the Gold King had fallen ill and was currently being hospitalized, knowing the weaker Silver King would be her stand-in until she recovered.

Also, it was coincidentally on that same day that HOMRA made a very critical mistake and allowed the Green clan's target walk outside with minimal protection. It made the Green King even more pleased to see a baby carrier in her hands, knowing one of the Red clan heirs was also going to be collected.

Much to Nagare's delight, Mikoto Suoh was nowhere in sight.

* * *

 **Well, there you have it! A lot is about to go down, so I hope you all are as excited as I am for this! :)**

 **I just want to give a big, warm and welcoming hug to my returning readers! I'm super excited to have all of you who followed over from the first "book", Series of Fortunate Events, and are now going to come and enjoy this new chapter in our lovely character's lives!**

 **Next chapter will be up shortly as I will be posting two at a time (or at least trying to) like in the previous series! :)**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	2. CH I - DISTRESS

**So, here is the first official chapter of the series! I hope you all enjoy it! :)**

 **Reviews will be placed at the beginning on the next update!**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 1**

 **Distress**

* * *

"Did you happen to hear from Shiro yet about how Blake is doing?" Akira asked as she sat down beside Kaori, "It's been over a day and no one's said a thing."

Kaori shook her head with a frown, "Unfortunately, no. I've been waiting the entire time but he hasn't replied to any messages I'd sent him."

Alani, now crawling around like a little train car after Kiseki, thudded her way over to her mother and looked up at her after having been set down by Kamamoto after coaxing the large male to cuddle her. Kaori smiled down at her and easily lifted her into her arms, setting her down on her knee and holding her loosely at the waist.

Akira smiled and stroked Alani's cheek gently, "They're all getting so big," Her eyes wandered over to where Kaori was looking to see Mikoto lazed on the leather sofa with his head back and Kaen in his arms, "He's getting to be more like his father every day, isn't he?"

Kaori giggled and admired the way Mikoto kept a hand on Kaen's back to secure him against his chest while the miniature red head clutched his shirt and had his head pressed into the Red King's collarbone.

"Oh yeah," Kaori grinned, "Kaen is definitely his father's son, alright."

Suddenly, Reina burst through the kitchen doors into the main area and looked at Kaori, "Mum, we need more supplies for the dinner tonight and Tatara is making Yata and I go. Do you mind if we make a quick run out?"

"Sure and actually, I'll come too," Kaori handed Alani to Akira and rose to her feet, "I have to get some more medicine for Alani anyways, and the fresh air will do me some good."

Akira frowned slightly and held Alani close while looking down at her, "Still not feeling good, sweetheart?"

"Her temperature finally dropped into the safe zone last night but just to make sure it doesn't spike again, I have to go buy some more of that syrup that the doctor recommended. I ran out last night when I gave her the last dose, and it would be good to have some more in case Kaen gets whatever she had," Kaori gently pushed back Alani's already long, choppy bangs from her eyes and smiled, "We won't be long. You know what Yata's like when he runs errands."

Akira grinned and nodded, "Going to take Kaen for the walk?"

"Might as well," Kaori looked back over to the sleeping duo, "I'll see if I can motivate the laziness out of him while he's still young before Mikoto's genes truly set in."

Crossing the room, Kaori walked over and stroked the back of Kaen's head before reaching for Mikoto's cheek, "Mikoto?" When he grunted she smiled, "Mind if I borrow your doppelganger for a while?"

Mikoto opened one eye to look at her and flashed her a small grin, "It'll cost you the usual tonight if you're gone longer than five minutes," He released Kaen from his hold and fully looked at his wife, "Actually, double it for that comment earlier."

"You heard that?" She grinned back and giggled when he nodded, "Fine, fine. I'll hold you to that."

Mikoto smirked as she winked, watching her gently pry Kaen's fingers from his white shirt, "You're going with Yata and Reina?"

"Yeah, just to the convenience store a block away. Alani needs more medicine," Kaori carefully picked her son up and held him to her chest, "Want anything?"

She stepped back as Mikoto slowly rose to his feet, "No," He gave her a look of concern, "Do you want me to come with you?"

"Nah, I'll be fine," She smiled, "Things have been quiet and with all of the boys still out running their usual patrols, I'm not worried. Besides, I have the two best possible bodyguards with me aside from you so try not to worry."

Mikoto sighed and nodded reluctantly, "Fine, but be careful and if anything seems out of the ordinary, you call me immediately."

"Don't worry, love," Kaori leaned up and kissed him gently, "We'll be back before you know it."

As if on cue, both Yata and Reina walked back into the main bar area all ready to go. In their hands they held two separate lists of things to pick up, and with her eyes wandering back to the door she grinned when she saw an innocent smile on Tatara's lips as he peeked out the door at them.

She shook her head with a smile, noticing the guilty expression he was trying to mask with his grin and giggled, "I should have known."

 **\- x -**

"It's just about time to initiate phase one of our plan," Nagare said, his eyes locked onto the holographic screen where the feed from a camera just outside of HOMRA was filming, "Yukari, Sukuna, I want you two to be ready to leave immediately."

Yukari smiled as he continued to admire his recently manicured nails, "Of course, Nagare. We are capturing the Queen after all, so we must look and perform our best today. Right, Sukuna?"

"Pfft, I don't care about that!" Sukuna smirked and held his scythe, "I'm excited for the amount of points she'll be worth once we've got her."

"The bodyguards are all yours then," Yukari said as he looked at his young companion, "Since you're hunting for points and all."

"Do not kill them," Nagare warned, "I want them to return to HOMRA and give the Red King a message for me."

Sukuna deflated and sighed in irritation, "Fineeee. That would have been an easy six thousand points, too."

A soft chuckle escaped Yukari's lips, "The Red Queen is worth sixty-five thousand, so I will give you have should you wish?"

Sukuna muttered something under his breath about not wanting "free points" and sighed, turning to watch the live feed in disinterest.

Nagare's expression suddenly lifted as his eyes landed on three figures that began walking out the doors. Much to his pleasure, it was the vanguard and his lover.

His lips pulled into a pleased smirk at the sight of Kaori, who walked out the door and closed it behind her to follow the two down the stairs. It made things all the more interesting when all eyes landed on the carrier she held in her hands, knowing one of the Red clan heirs would be there to capture as well.

This caused his shoulders to shake as he stifled his gleeful laughter.

"Well," Tenkei whistled, "We seemed to have struck gold, boys. Two birds in one go."

Sukuna's eyes went wide as he pointed to the screen, "Is that really one of Suoh's brats?"

"Seems this just became a more interesting mission," Yukari mused, standing up from his spot on the couch to pull his leather trench coat on before sliding Ayamachi into its rightful holster on his back, "Would you like us to retrieve the infant as well, Nagare?"

Nagare's eyes never left the screen and his smirk remained on his face, "Yes," He had the camera zoom in towards the Queen and leaned forward with a small chuckle at the sight of the child in the carrier, "It's his son. Perfect."

 **\- x -**

"Ahh~" Reina sighed happily and threw her hands into the air, "It's been way too long since we all got out into the sun and not spend the day fighting someone!"

Yata nodded in agreement, "I know, right?! We're so close to our routine trip to the beach that I can almost taste it!" Reina giggled at his enthusiasm but agreed with his words, "I can't wait to get the three kids to the beach and get them in the water for the first time!"

"Yes!" Reina smiled brightly, "We can teach Kiseki how to swim, too!"

Yata smirked, "And I plan on teaching Kaen how to surf when he's old enough, that's a promise!"

"You may want to run that by Mikoto first, Yata," Kaori giggled and looked down at her son, "Besides, I'm sure your uncle Tatara will want to steal you and your sister for the day, along with Kiseki so he can film the entire event."

The trio walked down the sidewalk continuing their happy chatter with Kaori every so often looking down to Kaen and absentmindedly watching him as he looked around with his wide amber eyes, taking in the sights around him.

They were just about to cross the street when a flash of green whizzed by, causing Yata and Reina to tense.

Yata glared and jumped forward in front of the girls, "The fuck do you think you're doing here?"

"We're here for the Queen and her son," Sukuna smirked and readied his scythe, "So and her over willingly and I won't have to hurt your pretty girlfriend."

Reina bristled and was about to retort when another voice from behind them caught their attention and caused them to go rigid.

"Remember Sukuna, we're not to harm them," Yukari was standing a few feet away from them with a hand on his hip, although the usual green parrot usually perched on his shoulder was absent.

Sukuna grumbled, "I know! But Nagare never said anything about not being able to play with them!"

"Sometimes I forget how young you are," Yukari sighed and shook his head before his eyes wandered to Kaori. He gave her a charming smile and bent at the waist with a hand placed on his left pectoral, "A pleasure to finally meet you, Red Queen Kaori Suoh."

Reina quickly shoved Yata back towards Kaori and stood squared in front of Sukuna as Yata quickly jumped into a defensive stance. The tall swordsman smiled at this, amused by Yata's bravery and how easily he jumped into the line of fire to protect the Red clan's Queen.

"Mum," Yata glanced back at her and muttered low so only Kaori and Reina could hear, "Get out of here and go get the others when I make you an opening."

"Unfortunately, that may be a little more difficult to accomplish than you thought."

All eyes went wide as the Gray King stepped forward and was now standing beside Yukari. He offered a glaring Kaori his casual smile before looking at Yukari.

"Nagare sent me to escort Kaori personally so you and Sukuna can take your time if the others show up."

Yukari chuckled softly and nodded, "Excited to have her in his presence, is he?"

"I don't care who the fuck you guys are," Yata interrupted angrily, "But don't think for a second that we're just going to let you take Kaori without a fight!"

Behind him, he could already hear Reina and Sukuna fighting but didn't turn to check on them. His eyes were glued onto the tall, elegant male who was now drawing his sword with a charming smile on his face.

Having produced his weapon from seemingly out of nowhere, Yata sprung forward before Yukari could make the first move and engaged him in an intense exchange of blows. His new weapon of choice, a long steel pipe that burned a beautiful fuchsia at both ends, was blocking each swipe that Yukari gave with Ayamachi.

Meanwhile, Tenkei stood in front of Kaori and smiled but made no advance towards her. Rather, he held his hands up in a neutral stance as to not threaten her.

"I'd prefer my job to be a peaceful one as I don't particularly wish to attack a mother and her child," Tenkei began walking forward, "So why not come quietly and save your two clansmen from getting hurt?"

Kaori narrowed her eyes and extended her free hand, letting it ignite and burst into flames much like Mikoto's when he's engaged in a fight.

"Ah, so it is true," Tenkei mused, "You and the Red King really do share his sanctum. I had a feeling that was the case, but I wanted to see it for myself."

She shifted so Kaen's carrier was slightly behind her and watched him carefully, "He and I are on equal grounds now, so don't think I won't try and stop you all myself."

"Ah," Tenkei smiled and lifted his hands up while shrugging his shoulders, "You may be equal in strength, but do you have the stamina to maintain such an intense amount of power for an entire fight?"

 **\- x -**

Mikoto's eyes flew open as he felt a familiar tug at his inner aura, his body shooting up and becoming rigid. Looks of curiosity and concern were cast in his direction as Kusanagi nodded to Tatara to go over to see what was wrong.

"King?" Tatara's brows furrowed as he walked over, "Is something wrong?"

Mikoto quickly rose to his feet and none too gently pushed Tatara out of the way in a very uncharacteristic manner and headed straight for the door, "Something isn't right. Kaori's activated the inner sanctum and is drawing an immense amount of power from it."

Alarmed, all of the HOMRA members quickly sprang into action and followed their King out the door after asking the girls to remain behind with Kiseki and Alani.

"Do you think it's them?" Kusanagi asked as he followed closely behind Mikoto.

"Yeah," Mikoto's eyes narrowed and already he could feel the pulsating sensation of his own internal inferno begging to be released, "They've been waiting for an opportunity like this – and I gave it to them the minute I let her step outside alone."

The group quickly made their way down the same street the trio had gone down not long before, each readying their weapons and preparing to fight when a massive explosion coming from the area their three clansman were in shook the entire area.

Tatara stared up with wide eyes, "That's them!"

Mikoto's eyes narrowed at the sight of the familiar red and pink flames angrily reaching for the sky while a familiar gray fog began to encase the entire threat.

"We have to get in there," Kusanagi urged, "But if that Gray King is there, getting through that fog will be near impossible."

Turning his attention away from the scene in front of them, Kusanagi eyed their King and noticed his aura was now wafting off his body like a thick, red blanket. He could practically feel the dangerous, murderous intentions pulsating off Mikoto's form, sparing a glance at an equally worried Tatara.

The two nodded in a mutual understanding before looking forward towards the destruction, watching as the fog had now fully contained Kaori's flames.

 **\- x -**

"You're doing a fine job for someone who fights with no style or poise," Yukari smiled, easily deflecting Yata's blows without much effort, "However, with Kaori growing weaker as she exhausts that power of hers, our little game is quickly coming to a close."

Yata glared angrily, desperately wanting to look over to see if Kaori and Kaen were alright but Yukari never gave him the chance, "Shut up! Mum is a lot stronger than you think!"

" _Mum_?" Yukari repeated as he blinked, "She must mean quite a lot to you clansman is she has been given such a beautiful title."

Off to the side, both Reina and Sukuna were panting hard as their limit creep up on them. He was shocked to know the tiny girl in front of him was almost evenly matched with him, further aggravating the boy. She could read his moves as he could hers, making their battle almost too difficult for one of them to gain the upper hand.

"You know, for a scrawny girl like you," Sukuna smirked as he taunted her, "You've actually got some skill."

" ** _SCRAWNY?!_** " Reina screamed angrily and threw her fist in the air, "Why don't you come over here and say that to my face you little brat!"

Sukuna's smirk grew wider, "Did I make you mad? My bad."

. . .

Through the dense layer of fog, Kaori could only listen to what was going on around her. Even when she wielded her flames as a sharp blade, she could only barely make a slice through the blanket of gray for seconds before it sealed itself.

"Damn it," Kaori glared and tried as best as she could to survey the area, "It's like Reisi said… This really is an amazing defense."

"Thank you for the compliment," The Gray King's voice echoed around her but no matter how hard she tried to focus, she couldn't pinpoint where it was coming from, "However, as you can see, my fog also negates other auras. In other words, you'll exhaust yourself before you're able to escape."

Kaori narrowed her eyes, "Don't underestimate the power of a mother backed into a corner trying to protect her child," She warned, setting Kaen's carrier down beside her before letting her hands fall to her sides, "I may not share Mikoto's stamina, but as a mother I will rain hell fire down on your ass for threatening my family."

Tenkei chuckled, "I'm not doubting your abilities, Kaori. You misunderstand."

Finally having stored enough power, Kaori worked the energy to her hands and felt the flames engulf them. She inhaled a steady breath, feeling the aura manifest itself and coat her entire body like a shield, as well as Kaen.

Having been observant early on during the time Tenkei had spread the fog in the surrounding area, Kaori managed to spot a flaw in his barrier. It was tiny, almost barely there but it was something she could aim for and possibly negate the entire expanse.

"Tenkei!" Kaori called out into the nothingness, "This ends _now_!"

With that, Kaori unleashed the energy she'd built up and braced herself. The force was enough to dispel Tenkei's fog and soon the entire area became engulfed in flames, followed by an explosion as the heat impacted several buildings and caused them to crumble. From outside the radius of the blast, one could see the entire area was nothing but a current of red, stretching up to the sky as the immense amount of raw energy consumed everything it touched.

Yata and Reina shielded their eyes as they watched the destruction happening from a safe distance. Both had felt Kaori's aura reach an alarming level and retreated immediately without warning, causing both Yukari and Sukuna to follow in suit.

"Mum!" Reina's eyes were wide with shock, "Yata, please tell me she's going to be okay after that!"

Yata held her back and frowned, "I don't know… I've only ever seen Mikoto attack with that much power before."

From inside the vortex, Kaori's breathing was ragged and her body shook with the backlash of the release. Sweat dripped down her face due to the intense heat, and even as the angry flames subsided, she could still feel the heat surrounding her from the inside-out.

"Reina... Yata..." Kaori whispered and looked down at Kaen with a sad expression, having felt Tenkei's aura spike to signal he was still alive, "I'm so, so sorry for this... But I guess I wasn't enough to break through all of this and protect you all."

There was sudden sound of gunfire that echoed around the area when Kaori's eyes flew open, feeling an immediate pain in her stomach upon impact.

"You truly are a remarkable woman, Kaori Suoh."

Tenkei's form became visible as she sank to her knees, her hands cradling the spot she'd been direct hit with his compressed gray aura. Despite the fact he was up and walking, even she could see that he hadn't been entirely free of the explosion and suffered some damage.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way," Tenkei sighed, holstering his pistol before walking over to her and her baby, "Yukari, would you mind bringing our guest?"

Kaori watched with blurry eyes as Tenkei reached down to wrap his fingers around the handle to Kaen's cradle. She reached forward and made a straggled sound of protest when she felt hands carefully pull her up and against a broad chest. She winced, already feeling her body going heavy and filling with the pain that came after exerting so much energy.

"Shh," Yukari looked down at her, "You're both in no danger. Please, just relax and try not to move."

Deciding to fight against her body's pain and fatigue, Kaori shoved her hands against Yukai's chest and collarbone as she squirmed in his grip, "Put me down!" She looked at Tenkei's retreating form and felt the tears fall from her eyes, "Bring him back!"

"Please remain still, Miss Kaori," Yukari sighed and tightened his grip on her, "I won't be good if you push yourself further."

Kaori looked up at him and narrowed her eyes before realization struck, "Where are Yata and Reina?" She looked around frantically for them when Yukari's chest rumbled with his chuckle.

"They'll be fine," Yukari walked over to Tenkei and Sukuna, "But don't worry about those two. Close your eyes and rest."

Kaori looked up at Yukari incredulously while Sukuna stared at her, "This is their Red Queen? She doesn't look like much!"

"Looks are deceiving, Sukuna," Tenkei looked at her and smiled, "She alone managed to back me into a corner and forced me to use more force than necessary. Although, she hit her peak with that last attack and wore herself out."

"Really?!" Sukuna's eyes went wide, "That last attack was her?"

Yukari chuckled and looked down at Kaori, having noticed she stilled in his arms and smiled, "Poor thing, she's passed out. Let's see to it that she's comfortable when she wakes up."

 **\- x -**

As the fog cleared and the dust settled, the Red clan finally made their way onto the battlefield only to find it was barren. Off to the side laid Yata and Reina, both set beside one another so they would wake up knowing they were both alright. Kamamoto and several others rushed over to them to check if she were still alive while Kusanagi and Tatara remained by Mikoto's side.

Slowly, the silent male walked towards the middle of the destruction and stood in the spot untouched by the explosion. It had been where Kaori was standing after releasing her attack, Mikoto was sure of it. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the spot, his shoulders tensing and his fingers curling into fists in his jacket pockets.

"King?" Tatara was about to approach when Kusanagi placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him, watching as Mikoto's body was suddenly engulfed in flames.

Mikoto stood still, his eyes narrowed and glowing a bright red as he seethed in his rage. He could feel his Weissman levels increasing at an alarming rate, and soon his Sword of Damocles appeared above him high in sky.

Kusanagi felt a tremor of fear for the first time, watching Mikoto carefully as he pulled his hands out of his jacket pockets.

It made things worse when Mikoto, out a fit of rage, slammed his fist down into the concrete and caused a crater to appear around him in a huge expanse.

Ignoring Kusanagi's warning, Tatara dashed forward, "King!"

Anna stood behind Kusanagi and watched her father figure with teary eyes, not needing her marbles to see the fury and devastation burning inside of him. She could feel the despair slowly setting in on him and felt her own sadness at the loss, wanting nothing more to go over and comfort her King in his time of grief.

"It's not your fault," Tatara began, slowly walking towards Mikoto as he stood up and stared up at the sky, "I know you well enough to know you're putting all of this on you, but you can't. King, we all let our guard down."

Mikoto slowly looked over his shoulder towards Tatara, causing the younger male to freeze in his steps at the sight of his King's glassy amber orbs, "King..."

Tatara watched as he looked forward again, his posture still rigid and his fists still tightly curled with his nails biting into his skin.

"I don't care what you have to do," Mikoto spot more to Kusanagi than to Tatara, "I want her found, even if you have to destroy this entire city."

Kusanagi nodded and quickly pulled his PDA from his pocket, "Understood, boss."

Taking the opportunity in a moment of silence, Anna rushed over and took Mikoto's hand in both of her own. He never moved or looked down at her when she touched him, but she could feel his aura relax around him and felt relieved at that.

"Boss," Chitose was the brave one of the group to approach, "Yata and Reina woke up."

Tatara looked at them and rushed over, "Are they alright?"

Chitose nodded and brought him over to where the vanguard and his partner were.

"Thank God you're alright," Tatara said with a huge breath of relief.

Reina looked up at him with tears running down her face while Yata looked down at his hands in shame, "We couldn't stop them..."

"Don't worry about that right now," Tatara knelt down on his knees in front of them, "The most important thing to do at the moment is to get you both patched up and rested so when we find them, we can get her back."

Yata looked at Tatara slowly, "Those bastards... They knew. They fucking knew we'd be here."

"I know," Tatara sighed, "We figured it out once Kaori started drawing power from Mikoto's sanctum, but we couldn't get here in time."

"We saw that he explosion," Kamamoto frowned, "Was that her?"

Reina nodded, "Mum used up all of her energy on that final attack," She looked at Tatara, "She was trying to kill Tenkei Iwafune."

"We figured that's why she went to such extremes for one person," Tatara frowned.

Yata suddenly looked up at Tatara, "That pansy said that the Green King is declaring war, and that he was going to use Kaori as his weapon."

. . .

"Hey, Seri," Kusanagi's voice was low as he spoke into his phone, "We've got a problem."

 _"What happened?"_

Kusanagi looked over to see Anna standing with Mikoto and felt somewhat relieved that he was calmed down to the point where he wasn't exerting his aura, "The Greens," He paused and sighed deeply, "They're a head of the game now."

 _"What is that supposed to mean? Did something happen?"_

"They have Kaori," Came the strained response, "And her son, too."

On the other line, Awashima went silent. It took over five minutes before Kusanagi heard any sound from her, almost having hung up on her to call back.

 _"I will have Fushimi start tracking her whereabouts immediately. Until then, I will bring the issue up to the captain and call you back with any news."_

"Fair enough," Kusanagi smiled small despite himself, "Thanks a lot, Seri."

When they disconnected their call, Kusanagi dialed Shiro's number and was mildly surprised when he answered.

"Izumo Kusanagi here," He immediately introduced himself, "We have some bad news."

 _"What is it? Is everything alright?"_

"The Greens have Kaori. I already got in touch with Scepter 4 before calling you."

He could hear shuffling on the other end and what sounded like a distressed demand when Blake's worried but tired voice boomed into his ear, _"What the hell happened?! Was that her that caused that explosion in town just a few minutes ago?!"_

"Yeah, that was her. She was fighting the Gray King," Kusanagi confirmed, "It must have gotten to a point where her back was against the wall for her to resort to using that much power."

Blake hummed in agreement, _"Shiro said you contacted Scepter 4? Well, let them know I'm demanding they join us in the tower for a meeting. All of the allied clans are required so we can create a strategy to get her back in one piece."_

"It's not only her," Kusanagi's tone became grim, "They got Kaen, too."

 _"WHAT?!"_

More shuffling was heard, as well as protests for Blake to remain calm and in her hospital bed followed by her screaming for Shiro and Kuroh to leave her be. He could also hear Neko and Kiyomi in the back trying to reason with her, but it would seem the Gold King was already too far gone to care about her own condition.

 _"In the midst of all of this, how is he doing?"_ Shiro was the one to ask, most likely having taken the phone away from Blake during her fight against them.

Kusanagi's eyes landed on Mikoto, who was still standing still in the same spot and sighed, "Not good. Let's just hope we find her fast, or else he really will go on a rampage and that even Tatara won't be able to talk him down from."

 _"Agreed. We'll see you tomorrow. Come at noon and bring everyone with you, including the girls."_

"Roger that," Kusanagi said before hanging up.

With a sigh, he typed a message to Awashima telling her of the meeting and the time to be there before slowly making his way over to Mikoto.

"Anna," He looked down at her, "May I have a moment alone with Mikoto?"

Anna looked up at Kusanagi and then to Mikoto before reluctantly nodding and releasing his hand, turning around to run over to Tatara and the others.

"We're meeting with the other clans tomorrow at Miharashi Tower to discuss strategy," Kusanagi stood behind Mikoto and looked at him, "I hope you don't mind that I went ahead and informed everyone."

Mikoto looked back at him, "No, I don't," Pivoting on his heel, he turned himself so he was facing his clansman and watched them, "They're alright?"

"Yeah, both Yata and Reina are doing fine. Just some bumps and bruises, nothing serious," Kusanagi nodded, "How are you holding up?"

Mikoto's eyes shot to Kusanagi, giving him the answer he was looking for.

"When we find them, are you sure you're going to be willing to take on the burden of killing another King?" Kusanagi asked with a serious tone, "Even though uniting with Kaori restored your sword to its primary state, it'll still be enough to start breaking it down again."

"I don't care," Mikoto narrowed his eyes, "I want him dead."

The bartender nodded slowly and sighed, "Those damn Greens... They sure picked the wrong person to fuck with, didn't they?"

* * *

 **Alright, let's end this here. ;)**

 **What do you guys think so far? I know it's just the start but man, momma bears are SCARY. LOOL**

 **I hope you are all having a wonderful week, as I'm not because it's currently snowing AND freezing rain so tomorrow when I go for my final driving exam it's going to be horrible. Not that I'm afraid of driving in the snow, but I don't like how other drivers believe they're invincible.**

 **Anywhoo! Next chapter will be up when Christmas break starts... Or perhaps sooner...**

 **I didn't intend to post this so soon, but I couldn't help it. I keep writing chapters in class when I'm done all of my math and English work, so really, I could have the entire series for both this and Mikoto/Kaori's short story done within two weeks. LOOL**

 **As always, I love you all SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much! :D**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	3. CH II - KINDLING

**Chapter threeeeee! Well... Technically chapter two. :D**

 **MissAnimeMiss – Welcome back, love! :D First off, I will politely decline the question about whether or not someone dies! If I reveal that so early on, where's the shock of the plot twist? ;D I'm so happy that you're excited for the way this story will go and I hope it lives up to your expectations! Also, don't worry, you'll get your Mikoto rampage. Trust me, there's only so long he can go without losing his patience and temper before they find her. ;)**

 **Halloween Witch – Ahhhhh~ Welcome back! :D So happy you're excited over the unexpected updates! Sadly yes, our beloved Kaori got grabbed and Mikoto is a wreck right now! Don't worry though, like you said there's Alani to love and hold until his family is back! I hope you enjoy all of the little twists I throw in here and there, because I certainly look forward to writing them out to see everyone's reactions. ;D**

 **I was going to actually post this right after the two beginning chapters to this series, but apparently Mother Nature had other plans and cut the power so I'm glad I got this mostly typed out before having to rely on my laptop's battery power. LOOL ;(**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 2**

 **Kindling**

* * *

"So, does everyone actually know why they're here?" Blake asked, her tired eyes scanning the entire auditorium that all four clans were stuffed into.

The Blue clan were sitting silently with their arms crossed, some wearing unimpressed expressions while others (like Awashima), looked genuinely worried about the situation at hand.

Meanwhile, the Red clan looked as though they were going to burst into flames (pun intended) at any moment. Several of the boys were glaring over to the Blue's for seeming uninterested and offended by their attitudes, while the others were looking at Blake impatiently for news of what was going to happen.

Off to the side under the careful watch of both Tatara and Kusanagi, stood Mikoto with his arms folded across his chest as he leaned against the wall beside one of the large windows. His eyes were open and focused on the life outside of the building but he wasn't paying attention to anything in particular.

"Well, since no one's speaking, I suppose that means it's time for me to talk strategy," Blake sighed while hugging the blanket she had draped over her shoulders closer to her person, "Since we know our enemy has eyes and ears all of the place, we have to go about this delicately. Even my company cannot prevent signal interference or block JUNGLE from hacking the tower's cameras and web."

Awashima held her hand up and politely interrupted the Gold King, "May I add that we have already experienced what JUNGLE can do and that Fushimi and his team are ready for the challenge."

"I appreciate that, really," Blake smiled up at her, "Fushimi will be a key piece in tracking Kaori down because of his talents on the computer. I'll be matching him up with one of my clan's best to lessen the burden."

"That won't be necessary," Fushimi muttered, but it was loud enough for everyone to hear.

Blake looked at him and realized arguing with him would get her nowhere, "Fair enough. Now, as for everyone else."

Shiro decided to take over for her when he noticed Blake, who was still sick and on antibiotics, was beginning to weave on her feet, "Let me handle this."

She smiled appreciatively at him before going with Kiyomi to sit down in the front row.

"Blake and I have discussed the idea of involving the Gold clan's military, but because Munakata has willingly agreed to aid the cause, we're going with the second plan her and I figured out," Shiro began, "Like Blake had stated, Fushimi will be an important key piece to this. We've been told that both Kaen and Alani have been given mechanical suppressors that are mandatory for strains born into a family. If we can trace the signal and defeat JUNGLE's firewall, I believe we can find not only Kaori, but their base of operations and defeat the Gray King before taking on Nagare."

"That's all good, but what about collateral damage?" Kusanagi asked with his hand held up.

Shiro frowned, "Unfortunately, that's not something we can control while out there on the field," He cast a pointed look to the Red clan, "But that doesn't mean we're open to go around freely destroying everything in the meantime."

Tatara glanced over to Mikoto and frowned slightly, "What happens if Kaen's suppressor has been destroyed?"

"Then we're back to the old fashioned way," Shiro sighed, "There isn't much else we can do unless we manage to capture and interrogate one of the J-ranked clansmen. But as I'm sure you're all aware, Yukari Mishakuji and Sukuna Gojo are extremely formidable opponents."

Munakata, who had been sitting silently with his eyes closed and arms crossed over his chest, looked over to Shiro from his spot up near the top of the auditorium, "How will you deal with Tenkei Iwafune?"

"With Blake at the front once she's recovered from her sickness, defeating his powers to create a widespread fog will be easy," Shiro explained, "Blake has already proven herself a worthy opponent against the two opposing Kings, so this should be an easy win if we manage to draw them out."

His answer seemed to please several of the Blue clansmen as well as Munakata, "Very well."

"As for the Red King," Shiro looked at him and felt his smile falter slightly out of sympathy, "With the Red clan's connections and way of moving information through the underground, we will be putting a lot of faith in their capabilities. Kusanagi, I believe that mostly falls on you."

Kusanagi chuckled and nodded as he sat back with his arm comfortably resting behind Akira's seat, "That it does."

Munakata eyed Mikoto for a moment, wondering if he would lose control once they found where the Green's were keeping Kaori and his son.

"Fushimi," Shiro looked right at him, "Are you sure you want to do this on your own?"

Fushimi nodded, "I can accomplish a lot more when I don't have someone hovering over me," His eyes flashed to Yata briefly before they landed back on Shiro, "I've already begun processing my own decoder to hack into JUNGLE, as well as a virus to temporarily cut off the low level and J-rank players from their website and force it to reboot. In that time frame, we should have an open window to finding Kaori's location. With this reboot, they will lose access to all social media within that period of time we'll have to make our move."

Shiro went wide eyed, "Wow... That's incredible, Fushimi!"

"Tch," Fushimi clicked his tongue and looked away, "It's incomplete, so don't credit me as of yet."

Mikoto's eyes flashed to his former clansman, briefly making eye contact with him. In that moment, Fushimi felt his blood run cold and the pressure being placed on him by the Red King. He understood the burden of being the one who would have all the cards from their tactic in order to retrieve Mikoto Suoh's family, and that thought terrified the usually passive and cold Fushimi.

"Have you noticed a decline in JUNGLE's activities since they've taken Kaori?" Shiro looked around at everyone and watched them nod, "We're going to need a plan to draw them out, but with what exactly I'm not sure."

Kyra was the one to voice an angry thought for both herself and their destructive Red King, "No one better say we use the kids. I'll kick anyone's ass that brings that up."

"But it would be almost too tempting if we used the sibling to Kaori's son!" One of the Blue's said.

Mikoto's eyes shot towards the one who spoke, causing the man to freeze in his place.

"I believe I speak for the majority by saying that using Alani Suoh and Kiseki Totsuka as bait is out of the question," Shiro said quickly so he could keep the already enraged Red King at bay, "Perhaps we can use one of the Red clan's more bold tactics and start targeting Green clansmen we've already identified?"

Munakata frowned, "I will not take part in harassing the citizens of Shizume City no matter how important this matter, Silver King. It is my duty to protect them, not endanger them."

"I understand that," Shiro looked at him, "I'm not saying we go after the regular citizens, Munakata. Believe me, I don't want anyone who can avoid being a part of this to stay clear of what's about to happen."

Kusanagi raised his hand, "What of Sukuna Goji and Yukari Mishakuji?"

"We would be well ahead of the game if we could manage to trap one of them," Shiro folded his index finger around his chin.

"About Kaori's abilities as a Queen," Awashima suddenly spoke, "Would that apply to other clans as well should they have her in their hands long enough?"

Shiro looked at her, "I can't answer that because I'm not sure myself. This is the very first time a clan's King has taken a Queen. My sister left notes about the possibility of Queens that match the clans, but other than that, there isn't much to go on."

Mikoto looked out the window again, "She's intensified my clan's red aura and bolstered the range and potency of our flames. If the Green's manage to squeeze their way into that power, there isn't much that we can do."

All eyes fell on the Red King, "You're saying that she's like Eri Chiharu?"

"In a way," Mikoto closed his eyes, immediately regretting it as a picture of Kaori holding both of their children with a bright, smiling face flashed in his mind, "She doesn't even know the full extent of her own capabilities, but with what we've seen from her fight with the Gray King, she's got potential to become dangerous."

Shiro nodded, "That's true," He looked at everyone, "We're going to go about this under the assumption that she can bolster another clan's powers, just so we're prepared for a more intense fight rather than being severely unprepared."

 **\- x -**

 _"You know, I think Kaen prefers being with his father," Kaori grinned, "He doesn't stay still for me when I hold him."_

 _Mikoto looked at Kaori and shrugged, but the sly grin on his face told her that he was cooking up some hogwash answer to make her laugh._

 _"Maybe it's the testosterone," He leaned forward nipped at her jawline, "Most sons enjoy their father's company anyway, so don't worry about it."_

 _Kaori's eyes fluttered, "What a thing to say."_

 _Mikoto chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her against him, "Tatara and Kyra are watching the kids today, right?"_

 _"Mm hmm~" Kaori grinned up at him, knowing where this was headed and brought her arms up to loosely wrap around his neck, "And the boys are all out on patrols or otherwise occupied. Even Kusanagi and Akira are gone."_

 _"Hmm," Mikoto smirked and leaned down, "I like the sounds of that..."_

Kaori's eyes flew open as she gasped loudly, her body screaming at her as she shot up into a sitting position too fast with aching muscles. She winced and lowered herself back down slowly, thanking whoever brought her to this dark room with minimal light emitting from the curtains that they placed her on a very comfortable futon with warm blankets.

Wait.

Kaori frowned looked around the room as best as she could, noticing the only other piece of furniture in the room with her was a small table.

"Ah, you're awake!"

Kaori's eyes squinted as the figure standing at the door walked in, "Where am I?"

"Where are you?" A familiar voice said with a hearty chuckle, "You're in the Green clan's base."

Her eyes went wide, "What?" Suddenly, all of the previous events came flooding back and she shot up again, ignoring the pain that bit at her entire body, "Where's Kaen?!"

"Relax and try not to push yourself," As his face was revealed from the light coming from the open door, it was Tenkei that had come in to greet her, "We gave you some painkillers and some hot tea when you woke up the last time but they're no good on supernatural beings like us. It only helps for a while but it's all we had."

Kaori narrowed her eyes, "Why am I here?"

"We couldn't leave you laying on the concrete floor outside of the room," Tenkei stated that as if it were obvious, "You may be an outside clansman, but you're still a guest."

Kaori eyed him suspiciously for a moment before nodding slowly, "Where's my son?"

"He's actually out in the main area sound asleep. Took us a while to figure out what he kept crying about, but when we fed him he went straight to sleep," Tenkei chuckled, "He seems like he's just like your husband."

Kaori gave a large sigh of relief, "Can you bring him here, please?"

"Actually, I came in here to see if you were feeling well enough to join us for lunch?" Tenkei smiled at her, "We ordered something special and hope it's to your liking."

At his words, Kaori blinked several times, "... I'm an enemy of your clan, and you're bringing in special food for me? Putting me to rest on a comfortable futon and giving me painkillers to ease my muscle aches? What kind of clan are you?"

Tenkei chuckled loudly and grinned at her, "Seems almost too strange to be true, doesn't it? Well, you're out guest and even though Nagare had us go and forcefully collect you, he doesn't see you as a prisoner. We all want to treat you and your son fairly while you're here."

... Huh?

Deciding she wanted more answers from someone other than the Gray King, Kaori slowly but surely made got to her feet and made her way to the door. Having brushed off Tenkei's assistance, she made her way to the main living area where Nagare was looking at her with a welcoming expression.

"It's nice to finally meet, Kaori Suoh," He said in a friendly tone, "Please, join us for lunch."

She eyed him carefully before taking a seat on the couch beside where Kaen's carrier was sat down, immediately picking her son up and held him close in her arms. From beside her, Yukari smiled at her gesture and admired how beautiful she looked when she held the red haired infant.

"Would you like some more tea?" Nagare asked her, trying to persuade her into conversation.

Kaori shook her head, "No thank you," She looked down at Kaen and smiled small, thankful that he'd been untouched from the explosion and that their captors had done nothing to harm him, "Hisui Nagare, why did you send your men to capture me?"

"A topic I would like to leave aside for when you and I are on friendlier terms," He stated boldly, earning a sharp glare from the Red Queen, "Until then, is there anything else you would like to know?"

Sukuna looked over his shoulder at her, "Those Red clansman we fought back there. They called you _'mum'_. Why?"

"I've been a mother figure to all of the clansmen who have needed one over the years," Kaori answered honestly, knowing it was best to tell them what they most likely already knew rather than to lie, "I won't push away someone who needs someone they can confide in."

"How lovely," Yukari looked at her, "It was just as I suspected."

Kaori looked at him, "Pardon?"

"You truly are fitting for the title as a mother," Yukari said before returning to his mirror to apply some lotion, "You have a soft tone to your voice and an inviting aura that makes it almost impossible to walk away."

"Mm," Tenkei nodded, "A very rare trait in a person."

Kaori looked at both of them before nodding slowly, "Thanks?"

"Do you cook?" Sukuna suddenly asked, earning a glare from Tenkei and a droll look from Yukari, "What? I used to enjoy my nanny's cooking back when I lived with my parents."

Kaori looked at the child and nodded, "I do cook," She looked down at Ken and smiled a real smile for the first time since her arrival, momentarily forgetting where she was, "Although Tatara and Yata do most of the major cooking when all of the boys are home."

"I see," Nagare watched her, thoroughly enjoying her interaction with the child in her arms, "Would it make you more comfortable if you were able to cook?"

She looked at him, "Are you asking me to cook for you all?"

"I could use the help," Tenkei chuckled and sipped at his canned beer, "Feeding a growing boy and two young men with large appetites, as well as myself gets tiring after a while."

"You make it sound as if we're pigs, old man," Sukuna muttered, looking back at his handheld game.

Tenkei looked at him with a scowl, "I'm not that old."

"Don't fight," Yukari sighed, "It's unsightly and a waste of energy."

Kaori watched the three with wide eyes. Never had she thought the Green clan would be so... Welcoming and much like a home with a real family living together?

Nagare watched her and noticed that she'd taken to watching his followers and allied Gray King with curiosity. She more so observed Sukuna and his behavior, most likely leaning towards maternal instincts to scold him for being impolite to his elders. When she would regard Yukari, she almost looked as though she was thanking him for his comments and considerate words. As for Tenkei, she spoke to him like any of the others world and showed no fear despite him being a King that she'd so bravely faced alone in battle.

Nagare pondered to himself, wondering if she would fit into his clan with some persuasion.

"Here," Tenkei held out a bowl of donburi to her, "Its chicken donburi with egg mixed into the rice. We didn't know what to order you so I hope you like this."

Kaori nodded slowly and accepted the bowl, "Thank you."

All eyes watched as she skillfully placed Kaen back in his carrier without disturbing his sleep or upsetting her bowl of food. Tentatively, she pulled the chopsticks out of the rice and slowly began to eat. Watching her, it was as if she suspected the food to be poisoned.

"Kaori, you need to relax," Tenkei sighed with a smile, "We're not going to hurt you or your son. I promise."

She looked at him, "Fair words coming from a man who came to collect me. Let's not forget that you shot me, too."

"What can I say," He looked at her, "It was a request from Nagare that I be the one to bring you back," She watched his lips pull into a grin, "As for the aura bullet, sorry about that."

She eyed him for a moment before regarding Nagare, "If you insist on not answering why you brought me here, then tell me this," Nagare's eyes widened slightly as he gave her his full attention, "Out of all the possible targets, why me?"

"Another question I cannot answer as of yet," Nagare regrettably answered, "Although, I will tell you this. I chose you because of your status and importance to the Red King, but I don't intend of using you as a bargaining chip. You're far more valuable than a simple clansman."

Kaori frowned at that, looking down at her bowl and remained silent.

 **\- x -**

"Mikoto?" Tatara knocked on his bedroom door and peeked in, noticing the King was sitting on the sofa with Anna beside him and Alani sleeping in his arms, "We're finished dinner. Do you want me to bring you some up or will you be joining us?"

The Red King looked at him slowly, "I'm not hungry."

"You have to eat," Tatara insisted with a frown, pushing the door open to walk over to him, "It's been three days already and you've barely eaten a thing. If we're going to be at our best when we go to get Kaori back, she'll need you to be at your top form."

Mikoto looked away from him not entirely feeling like arguing with him, "Fine, bring me something up."

"That's better," Tatara smiled softly before looking at Anna, "Come on Anna, we'll go make a special plate for King."

Anna nodded slowly and slid off the sofa to follow Tatara out of the room, sparing a long look back towards Mikoto before leaving him alone with his sleeping daughter.

He remained silent for a moment before readjusting his grip on Alani, carefully situating her so he could hold her with one arm while she was on her back. Bringing his free hand up, he stroked her cheek gently and sighed deeply.

The more he looked at his daughter, the more she reminded him of Kaori and the fact that she and his son were missing.

He was thankful that she was at a young age where she wouldn't understand what was going on around her, not wanting to go through the process of explaining to a child who could comprehend even a little of what had happened that her mother was taken away. The thought alone made his heart ache, wondering how Alani would have reacted if she were old enough to know what was going on.

She shifted in his hold and soon her eyes opened, revealing amber orbs that were continuously turning a more chocolaty tone like her mother's. She looked up at him with a calm expression before reaching her arms up to him, much like she did when she wanted to play with his hand or tug on the thin pieces of hair that fell forward in front of his face.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, allowing her to grip his hand in both of her tiny ones, "Your mother wouldn't be impressed if she knew you were fevered again and not resting."

Alani, oblivious as to what he was really saying, played with his fingers with a bright smile on her flushed face unknowingly making the King relax considerably at the sight.

There was a knock at the door that pulled his attention away from his daughter for only a moment as Tatara walked back into the room with a tray in his hands. On it was three different colored bowls, each with something different in them. In the center of the platter was a large plate that was filled to capacity with other edibles, making Mikoto's brow raise as to why he'd be brought so much.

"You've hardly eaten," Tatara repeated as he set the tray down on the coffee table in front of Mikoto, "I have a feeling that once you take that first bite you'll realize how hungry you are, so that's why Anna and I made sure to pack the tray full."

Mikoto looked down at it for another moment before looking at him, "Thanks."

"Don't sweat it," Tatara smiled, "Here, I also brought this."

Mikoto reached out and accepted the bottle Tatara had handed to him, "Alani's already been fed?"

"That's her medicine mixed in with some juice," Tatara pointed out, "Both Kyra and Reina said that was the only way Kaori could get Alani to take it willingly. Yata also put a pinch of ginger in there to help settle her stomach so she won't get sick."

"... Is that so?" Mikoto looked at the bottle and then to Alani, who had her hands outstretched reaching for what he had in his hands, "I never realized Kaori went to that extent."

Tatara gave Mikoto a sympathetic look, "Don't worry about it, King."

Dismissing himself from the room and closing the door behind him, Tatara left Mikoto alone to his own thoughts while he positioned the bottle so Alani could drink.

He watched as she guzzled it down, much like she did when she drank whatever Kaori would give her at the time. He was happy that she wasn't a fussy baby like Kiseki had become when she was Alani's age, when his mind wandered back to his missing wife and child.

Was Kaori getting treated like a prisoner? Or were they properly taking care of his son despite him being an enemy clansman?

Mikoto gave his head a shake, immediately dismissing the thoughts knowing if he didn't stop, he'd obsess about it until they were found.

Once Alani was finished her bottle, Mikoto stood up and walked over to the crib he'd brought to his bedroom the night Kaori and Kaen were taken. He set her down gently and tugged her special blanket up to her chin, gently tucking her in much like Kaori did every evening and leaned down to press his lips to her forehead before going back over to the couch.

As Tatara expected, Mikoto ended up clearing the entire tray before he leaned back and closed his eyes.

"It's like when that strain fucked with my mind," Mikoto sighed in agitation, "All I see is them."

Out of everything that had happened, what bothered him the most was the fact he was currently rendered helpless and self-branded as a fool. He'd allowed Kaori to venture off without his protection, foolishly believing that the Green clan had been chased out of their territory and wouldn't dream of attacking his clan's Queen. Not only that, but they managed to see for themselves that she was capable of producing the same destructive powers much like his own. The thought of her being used as a tool for Hisui Nagare made his jaw tighten and his flames threaten to emerge.

"Kaori..." Mikoto muttered softly to himself, "Where the fuck did you go?"

 **\- x -**

"Do you think this going to work?" Blake asked as she stood behind Fushimi, watching as his fingers dashed from key to key in a precise manner, "I have no doubt in your abilities, but we can't afford to have Nagare catch on to what we're doing."

Fushimi narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue in annoyance, "When I was a teenager, I managed to create a program that was supposed to hack into JUNGLE, but at the final stage I was caught and Nagare himself spoke to me. I recalled his words and decided to follow his advice. In doing so, I created this."

Munakata, Eri, Shiro and Awashima sat off to the side and watched while Fushimi typed his self-made codes into the computer at an alarming speed. Blake too, was shocked at how proficiently Fushimi was handling the situation at hand.

"We're in," Fushimi brought up JUNGLE's main screen and began punching in a sequence of numbers, "Like I said, the program is incomplete but this will be the trail run to see if it's capable of breaking through their first three sets of firewalls."

Each with bated breaths and high anticipation, all of Fushimi's spectators watched as he worked his magic before sitting back to wait and see what would happen. Sure enough, the program successfully broke through before he pulled back and shut it down.

"I'll remake the codes so next time it won't be recognized," Fushimi looked at Blake, "Once we're through to the final stage, you'll have to give me full control of your system. Are you willing to do that?"

Blake nodded, "I don't think we have much of a choice in the matter, but I trust you. You already familiarized yourself with the system that controls all of the Miharashi Tower's defense mechanisms, so I'm not worried about the rest."

Fushimi nodded, closing his laptop before standing up.

"What of the Red clan?" Awashima looked at Blake, "What do you think they'll do once we've found them?"

Blake sighed and crossed her arms, "I'm afraid that even I won't be able to stop Mikoto from destroying whatever he has to in order to get to her. Rumor has it from an outside source that they use underground systems that are heavily barricaded to travel around so quickly from destination to destination. It would make sense, seeing as how Yukari and Sukuna are always able to beat us to wherever we're going."

Fushimi looked at her, "If they're using underground tunnels, I'll find them."

She smiled at him, "I feel bad for letting you do this all on your own."

"I insisted," He said as he briskly walked passed her, "I don't work well with others, especially with cases like these."

"Dually noted," She watched him and smiled, "Let me know when you're ready for the real thing."

Fushimi nodded and left the room, leaving the Gold King to stand there with the Blue and Silver King along with Awashima and Eri.

"I worry about him sometimes," Eri frowned, earning a curious look from Munakata, "I'd like to know what goes on his head."

"Ask Keirsten," Blake looked at her, "She seems to be the only one who can actually hold a real conversation with him."

Awashima watched them while Shiro eyed Munakata, who was watching the door where Fushimi had just walked out of.

A thought crossed the Silver King's mind and caused a slight wave of anxiety to wash over, wondering if Munakata had reason to doubt Fushimi or to be weary of him. There was a suspicious glint in his eyes that no one else could see, making Shiro's own eyes narrow slightly at the idea of leaving so much to this plan on one young man with a history of betraying others.

* * *

 **Woooooooo! So much love already and the sequel isn't even thirty-six hours old! You guys are awesome! :D**

 **So, what up with Nagare's clan being all friendly? Are they leading Kaori into a false sense of security before something happens, or is it genuine? And what about the Green King seemingly taking a bizarre interest in her? Possible attraction but for all the wrong reason? I dunno! ;)**

 **Also, I forgot to mention that Fushimi is actually going to play a significant role in this story. If things go the way I have them jotted down on the paper I have the entire plot written on, then he's either going to be a character you love or hate by the time I'm done with him.**

 **Not saying he isn't in that position right now in Return of Kings, but because I have flexibility with him in my story, I'll be exploiting certain traits. ;)**

 **As always, I love you guys SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much! :D**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	4. CH III - DESTRUCTION

**Gotta say that I was right when I said that these will be finished DURING Christmas vacation... LOOL can't stop typing up chapters! Ugh, if I don't stop I'll have nothing to do during my almost three weeks. ;(**

 **Not that I should be complaining, since I have such lovely readers who are excited for quick updates! ;)**

 **Loopy – Ahhhh~ New reviewer! Welcome! :D Yes, I have to agree that I love Fushimi as well! He's one of my favorite characters despite him being a major butthead in Return of Kings, but we won't talk about that haha! He's definitely going to be a character to love or hate in this! :) As for the Green's, they are a tricky bunch, aren't they? Nagare has some twisted scheme in his head that I think you all will enjoy, so stay tuned! ;D**

 **MissAnimeMiss – Ohhhh yeah, Papa bear is going to be a force to be reckon with when he gets his hands on the Green's. ;) As for the killing, I can promise you that MIKOTO IS NOT DYING! Caps for all those who read! Mikoto will live! :D I hope you enjoy this one! ;)**

 **Mrs.1DJessup – Welcome back! :D I'm super happy you're so excited! I hope you look forward to all the other updates. ;D**

 **Halloween Witch – Hehe! We definitely need some moments where Mikoto shows his softer side with Alani! Even a proud, silent man like him needs to become a lush! And yes, those Green's, they're up to something! ;) We'll just have to wait and see~**

 **Warning! Warning! Violence up a head in the beginning! :D**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 3**

 **Destruction**

* * *

It had been a little over a week since Kaori and Kaen went missing, and Mikoto was beginning to lose his patience with those who were spearheading the fight against the Green's. Blake had assured Kusanagi to tell Mikoto that things were going according to plan, but it wasn't enough. Several buildings and four different gangs had suffered the brunt of the Red King's pent up rage.

Kusanagi was worried that if they didn't find their clan's Queen and heir soon, that Mikoto would start looking his own way and tear the entire city apart.

"Damn it!" Yata slammed his fist down on the table in front of him, "Why the hell are we not getting anywhere with this?!"

Kusanagi frowned, "Yata, calm down. Getting angry isn't going to make miracles happen, so calm down and relax. We can only move as fast as Blake and Fushimi let us at this point."

"But why are we depending on a guy who betrayed us in the first place?" Chitose glared, "Who's to say that he won't fuck this up and we lose the Red Queen for good?"

The bartender was thankful to the high heavens that Mikoto was nowhere in sight or in ear shot when that comment was made, "Chitose, I understand your point. Really I do, but you can't just go and say shit like that. We're trying to keep the peace between clans until this is all over, and to throw you doubts around definitely won't help."

"He's right though," Yata frowned, "Saruhiko plays by his own rules. What if he blows this whole thing because he wants to get back at us?"

Several of the members nodded and muttered their agreement.

Reina took Yata's hand and held it in both of her own, "Don't think about that right now, Yata... We need to be strong for mum."

"You're right," He sighed and offered her a small smile, "Sorry about that."

Kusanagi sighed softly and cast Reina a thankful look before he turned to Akira, who had been helping him clean his glasses and re-organize his wine collection.

"Have you guys seen Mikoto yet?" Kyra asked, walking out of the kitchen with a tray of food, "Tatara insisted that he eat this."

Kusanagi looked at her, "No, and I don't think he's in his room, either."

"Come to think of it, Anna isn't here either," Kamamoto pointed out, surveying the bar but didn't see the familiar little lady sitting on one of the plush stools.

Tatara walked out and looked around, "Where is Alani?"

"She'd be with Mikoto," Kusanagi set his rag down and walked out from behind the counter.

All eyes fell on the entrance where Akagi and Bando walked in, both looking at the expression on their clansmen's faces and frowned themselves.

"What's wrong?" Bando asked.

Kusanagi looked at them, "Have you two seen Mikoto while you were out on patrol?"

"Actually yes, we passed by him and Anna earlier," Akagi answered, "He was carrying Alani, but he looked really lost in thought. Anna was the one who noticed us first and said that he needed to go for a walk to clear his head."

A wave of relief crashed over the entire room as all the members released a heavy breath.

"Well, now that we now Anna is with him," Kusanagi crossed his arms, "We know that he won't blow a fuse if something happens."

"Should we go and follow him?" Kamamoto looked at Kusanagi, "Just in case?"

The bartender shook his head, "No. Mikoto is more than capable of taking care of himself, and won't lose his cool because he has the girls with him. I don't think he'd want Alani to be there when he fights, anyway."

They all nodded in agreement while Kyra looked at their clan's second in command, "If he doesn't come back soon, Tatara and I will go after him."

Kusanagi smiled, "Alright. Give him a couple of hours though. You know what he's like when he needs his space, so let's not make things more difficult than they have to be."

Tatara chuckled and smiled, "He'll be fine."

. . .

"Mikoto," Anna looked up at him as she gripped his fingers gently in her hand, "Are you alright now?"

Mikoto looked down at her but remained silent, only nodding to her as her answer. It seemed to appease her, making her smile softly up at her.

"If it isn't the Red King out for a lovely stroll in the sunlight with his daughter and surrogate child, Anna Kushina," A voice from behind them spoke in a mocking tone.

The Red King stopped walking and looked over his shoulder, his eyes narrowing at the obvious green helmet worn by all of the lower ranking JUNGLE members. He could feel Anna tense by her grip on his fingers as she too face the enemy, her own eyes shooting up to her King in worry.

The man chuckled and stood with his hands on his hips, "Pretty little daughter you've got there, Suoh," Amber eyes narrowed at him after Mikoto fully turned to face him, "Nagare would be interested in getting his hands on her too, you know."

"Is that so?" Mikoto stared at him, his face seemingly impassive but his eyes were filled with what he was really feeling.

The man laughed and smirked from behind his helmet, "That's right! If I collect the daughter, I win thirty-five thousand points and jump to U-level. So Mikoto Suoh, why not hand the girl over without a fight, hmm?"

The Red King stared at the man in silence before pulling his hand away from Anna, "Take her and get out of here."

Anna looked up at him and nodded slowly, reaching for Alani as Mikoto handed her to the young strain. She held the infant close to herself as Mikoto stepped forward, bringing his hands up in front of himself as he cracked his knuckles.

"Ooouu," The Green clansman taunted, "He's getting serious~"

Mikoto suddenly smirked, sending a chill down even Anna's spine, "You're the poor bastard that gets to be my play thing for the next five minutes. I hope you're more of a fight than the other three dumb fucks that have come at me today for the same reason."

The Green clansman bristled and prepared himself, pulling out two batons and poised himself, "Bring it on, Suoh! I'm a lot stronger than the others!"

There was a split second where the air went cold before Mikoto surged forward, not giving the enemy a chance to even lift his weapons to defend himself.

With a fist covered with a blanket of flames, Mikoto delivered a severe punch to the man in the stomach before grabbing onto the helmet with his freehand. There was a distressed sound of pain and fear that escaped the covered man's head as the Red King slammed his opponents head into the pavement. There was a sickening crack, followed by the sound of bones breaking and liquid hitting the surface of the sidewalk.

"Get up," Mikoto said coldly, standing up to watch the Green struggled to even lift his head up enough to look up at him, "We're not finished yet."

It took the enemy several minutes before he could shakily push himself up, his head bleeding profusely as well as the mixture of stomach acid, blood and saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth. His left eye was already turning a shade of purple and was inflamed to the point where it was closing shut due to swelling. His upper and bottom lips were split wide open and from the way he was leaned to one side, Mikoto had successfully cracked (if not broken) the left side of his collarbone.

"I said," Mikoto narrowed his eyes, "Get up."

The man yelled in pain when the toe of Mikoto's boot shot up and nailed him in the stomach where he'd already received a harsh jab from earlier. He began coughing loudly and soon he was spitting more blood onto the pavement beneath him.

From behind, Anna stared in horror as she watched Mikoto reach down to grab the man by the back of the shirt to force him up. When the man started screaming in pain, she looked away and covered Alani's eyes. Her own crimson pools were glassy with tears, not wanting to see this terrifying side of Mikoto.

"Where's your base?" Mikoto held him in the air as the man's body screamed with protest, "Answer me and I'll be a little more compassionate towards your current situation."

The man was breathing heavily and was choking on his own blood, "I-I don't know!"

"Not good enough," Mikoto, with much force, sent the man flying to the side and into the brick wall of a building, "I want to know where your King is."

The man cried desperately as Mikoto approached him, struggling to even bring an arm up to shield himself from the man now coated by his red flames.

He looked every bit of his title as the "Demon King" now more than he'd ever imagined.

"Your mission was to grab Alani," Mikoto squatted down a couple feet away from the man and smirked, "When you successfully collected her, you were to bring her to Nagare, correct? So tell me, where's the coward hiding?"

The man shook his head as best as he could and began shaking, "I-I don't know where he is, I swear! When we finished the mission, one of the J-ranks were to come pick her up, that's all I know!"

"Is that so?" Mikoto eyed him before reaching for the man's pocket and pulled out his phone, seeing that he was logged onto JUNGLE and had the mission log open, "Is this what you use?"

Struggling to nod, the man coughed more from his damaged internal organs and watched through his only open eye as Mikoto skimmed through his profile and details.

"Daihan Teruki," Mikoto repeated the name he read aloud, "And only three thousand more points away from your goal. Shame, really," Slowly standing up, Mikoto held the phone in his hand as he stared down at the man, "Tell whoever else is planning to come after my daughter that I'm done playing nice. Next one who shows up will die."

Setting the PDA on fire, he tossed it down where it landed on top of Daihan. Mikoto turned and walked away, ignoring the screams of pain as the fire caught on his clothing and set his spilt blood on fire.

"Mikoto..." Anna looked up at him with tears running down her face, her hand still holding Alani's head to her neck so the infant couldn't see what was happening.

The Red King walked over to her gently pried Alani from Anna's arms, "Let's go," When he had carefully positioned his daughter in one arm, he reached down and took Anna's hand and began walking off.

Silently, Anna followed and gripped the hand that held her own tightly, sparing a glance back in the direction they came from to see the man had several other players around him now trying to help him. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt, knowing instead of Mikoto showing him mercy that he left the male there to feel every inch of pain directed towards the entire clan. She felt terrified, knowing that her King was becoming more hostile and reaching that point of no return.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Mikoto's low voice broke her out of her own thoughts as she looked up at him, "I know you share Tatara's views and are against me using violence to solve everything."

Anna nodded slowly and looked forward, "Mikoto... Your red needs to stay bright and clear, not clouded with anger and revenge."

He never answered her, only closing his fingers around her hand to hold it a little snugger as they made their way back to HOMRA.

 **\- x -**

"Seems the Red King is going to be causing us quite a bit of trouble now that he's reaching the limit to his patience," Tenkei said, watching the man in question on Nagare's screen, "Should we start with phase two?"

Nagare shook his head, "Let him become enraged. If we can get the Red King to over extend, he will be one less obstacle we will have to worry about."

"I doubt his lovely wife would let that happen," Tenkei looked at Nagare, "If they really do share the Red sanctum, she'll know when he taps into an enormous amount of power and can most likely stop it with her own influence."

Nagare smiled an eerie smile, "Shall we test that theory out?"

The Gray King chuckled and shook his head, "I don't think that's a good idea right now, Nagare."

"Oh?" He blinked and looked at his companion, "Why not?"

Tenkei smiled, "We just got her settled in. You don't want to rile the Queen up before the right time, now do you?"

"I suppose you're right," Nagare nodded, "It wouldn't be in my favor to have her tap into her true power right now."

Meanwhile, Kaori was reluctantly participating in a session of yoga with Yukari while Sukuna laid off to the side playing his handheld game as Kaen slept soundly in his carrier. They were just outside of the main living area but had been too preoccupied to hear what the two Kings had been saying.

"My, you're quite flexible for someone who has just had two children not too long ago," Yukari smiled, watching as Kaori mimicked one of the more harder poses, "Not everybody can do this pose with ease."

Kaori struggled to keep herself in form and muttered, "I'm having a harder time than you think, Yukari."

"Deep breaths and relax," Yukari mused, "That's the key."

Sukuna looked over and felt his cheeks heat up seeing Kaori's form in such a way, immediately noticing she hadn't been wearing a bra after she'd changed into a spare set of Yukari's clothing, "Uh..." He looked away and muttered something, "Why do you two have to do that here, anyway?"

"It was you who decided to join us, Sukuna," Yukari smiled as he looked over at the younger male, "If you're feeling uncomfortable, feel free to join Tenkei and Nagare in the other room."

Sukuna's cheeks flared, "It's not like that!" He insisted, not looking over to the two, "Why the hell didn't you give her something to wrap her chest with while her underwear is in the laundry?!"

"Ah, so that's what this is about," Yukari chuckled as Kaori gave an indignant sound of annoyance, "Yoga is to be done free of restrictions, so naturally I felt she would be more comfortable in something light and flowy rather than her regular clothing."

Sukuna muttered something again but instead of addressing what Yukari said, he went back to his game and ignored them.

"Don't mind him," Yukari looked at Kaori, "He'll get used to being around a woman again."

Kaori frowned, "Is that your way of telling me that I'll be here for a while?"

He nodded, "Yes, or at least until our Nagare decides it's time to let you go."

She sighed and let her body relax into a neutral position, "He hasn't told me why I'm here yet," She looked at him and met his own brown orbs, "Do you know why?"

"I have an idea, but he hasn't told any of us yet," Yukari answered honestly, "I believe it's because of your connection to the sanctum. I think our Nagare wishes to study your limit and how you connect to the rest of the Kings and not just Mikoto Suoh."

Sukuna looked over at them, "He wants to study your kid, too."

Kaori took in their words and frowned, "He wants to study Kaen and me?"

"Mm," Yukari smiled, "Seeing as how you are our generations first Queen, he most likely wants to see where you stand power wise, as well as abilities that are shared."

"I'm not going to be his test subject," Kaori glared, "Neither is my son."

Yukari chuckled, "And you won't be treated like one."

"But you just said...?"

The sound of wheels coming towards them made both Yukari and Kaori look over, seeing Nagare and Tenkei joining them.

"Enjoying yourselves?" Nagare asked, seeing Kaori sitting a couple feet away from Yukari as he continued his stretching.

Kaori looked up at him and nodded slowly, feeling a little creeped out by the smile he was currently giving her.

"It's been about a week since you've been here, Kaori," Nagare said smiling, "I believe it's time you and I have a private talk."

She nodded slowly and stood up, ignoring the Gray King's eyes on her and walked over towards Kaen to grab his carrier.

"I'll watch over him," Yukari said before her hand could touch the handle, "I believe it's my turn, anyways."

Despite the fact she didn't trust any of the men keeping her and her son hostage, Yukari had proven himself to be quite reliable and allowed him once before to keep Kaen while she helped Tenkei cook. When she returned to where she'd left them, Yukari was laying back on the couch with Kaen sitting on his stomach watching curiously as the man puttered on his PDA. Kaori was surprised when Kaen would smile brightly and clap as Yukari showed him things on the screen, smiling at the child before finding something else for him to see.

"Alright," She cast Kaen's sleeping form a longing look before following Nagare as he lead her back to their main sitting area, leaving Tenkei to also watch the Red King's heir, "So, are you finally going to tell me why I'm here?"

Nagare waits until she sits down and nods, "Yes, I believe you've become well enough to hear the truth."

"So then, why me?" Kaori looked at him, "Why my son?"

"Your son is the reason why I wanted to conduct some research, but I knew I wouldn't get anywhere without also knowing what makes your power ticks," Nagare began, "From what I've been able to see, you can only access a limited amount of Mikoto Suoh's power at a time unless your own inner level has been exhausted. It's a defense mechanism being married and bonded to a King gives you, but I'm wondering if it works in tandem with his own extended power as well?"

Kaori's eyes narrowed, "Just how long did you look into this?"

"I've been doing my research for weeks now," Nagare revealed, "What intrigues me the most is the fact you have an unknown level of power still lying dormant, as well as the fact your aura is also detected as multiple instead of just Red."

That caught her off guard, "What? What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly," Nagare smiled, "It would be difficult to find without conducting medical experiments, but I feel it's safe to assume that you have a duel aura."

She shook her head, "I only received my aura when Mikoto made me a part of his clan back when we were first together. I've never been with another clan before."

"You would have been born with this one," He said, "Or at least, that is my theory. What color it is, I can't be sure."

Kaori shook her head again, "But that's impossible. My family knows nothing of the Kings or what it all stand for. Hell, my parents don't even know I've got children for that matter."

"You may not know all there is to know about your parents, then," Nagare challenged, "Now, as for your son. I want to know how it is he inherited the flames without being gifted them or being born like a strain. It's a medical and supernatural mystery as well as a miracle considering your two infants are the first of their kind."

Her eyes narrowed, "You're not experimenting on my child."

"Of course not," He smiled again, "You two are my clan's guests, so you will continue to be treated as guests until the time comes."

"What do you mean by that?" She frowned, "You're not going to use us as pawns in your game if that's what you have in mind."

Nagare suddenly smirked, "On the contrary, you're the key piece to all of this," He continued even as her eyes went wide, "Once I unlock the secret of your power, it will all fall on you."

She shook her head but couldn't muster any words to say.

 **\- x -**

"Well, you definitely got through to them," Kusanagi sighed as he looked at Mikoto, "It's all over JUNGLE's website that they are to leave any missions regarding the Red clan to the J-ranks."

Mikoto looked at Kusanagi, "They came after me to collect Alani."

"And you didn't kill them?" He chuckled, "I'm surprised you left them alive."

"I wanted to send a message," Mikoto sat back, "Hisui Nagare declared war, so I'll keep knocking down each and every one of his pawns until he shows his face."

Kusanagi nodded, "We heard from Blake."

"What now?" Mikoto narrowed his eyes, "Another dead lead?"

"Actually no," Kusanagi looked at him, "Fushimi found one of the entrances to their underground systems."

Mikoto looked at him, "What?"

"Blake and Fushimi have been working all night, and when he mapped out the entire cities subway systems there was a discrepancy," Kusanagi began, "When he dug further, he discovered a system underneath what the public uses as a transit route."

Mikoto smirked, "Is that so?"

"Blake sent the Usagi to investigate, as well as several Scepter 4 members," Kusanagi crossed his arms over his chest, "But it's only a lead."

He watched as Mikoto rose to his feet, "It's the closest we've gotten to finding them," He turned and began walking to the door, "I'm going with them."

"Mikoto," Kusanagi frowned, "The plan is to keep all of the King's on the side until we get close enough to draw them out."

"That's my wife and son in there," Mikoto's voice was cold and raw, as were his eyes when he turned around to look at his second in command, "I won't stand by and wait if there is a real opportunity to find them."

Kusanagi froze and nodded slowly, unable to process any words from the look he was currently being given.

"Mikoto," Tatara joined them in the main bar area, "Don't go."

Mikoto's amber eyes shifted to Tatara, "You're going to stop me?"

"I will if I have to," He frowned, "Your place is here. If they find that it's another dead end, you're going to lose your temper and cause more of a mess that will just cause the Green's to back away from. There's a reason why they're in hiding and why you, Munakata and Shiro were asked to sit back and wait."

It almost crippled Tatara's purpose for being the one person that was able to stop the Red King when his soft brown orbs were met with cold, emotional amber ones. Shaking the feeling off, Tatara slowly approached Mikoto and offered his hand.

"Come and sit down," Tatara tried a polite approach, "I'll make you some tea and we'll call to see what they've found."

Mikoto stared at him, noticing off to the side far back near the counter was Anna. Most of her body was hidden by the tall counter, but he could see her eyes clearly and felt a pang in his chest at the saddened look she was giving him.

When his eyes fell on Alani, who crawled out from where Anna was standing, he let out a deep sigh and turned slowly around. His feet carried him over to where the two girls were, and soon he leaned down to pick his daughter up and held her close.

Kyra joined them in the room, holding a drowsy Kiseki in her arms and smiled small, "I know this is something you don't want to hear, Mikoto. . . But you need to be patient and be ready to save her. She's going to need her husband when we find them, not have to be told you got yourself killed while trying to find her."

"Alani needs you," Tatara added, "So does Anna, so please, stay."

Alani stared up at her father with bright eyes and a curious expression, reaching up to pat his face her both of her hands.

Both Kusanagi and Tatara let out a huge sigh of relief when they watched Mikoto's shoulders relax significantly, their eyes following him as he walked back to the couch to sit down. Anna took the chance to run over to be with him, climbing up beside him and put her hand on his arm as a form of comfort.

"Call them," Mikoto continued to look down at Alani, "I want to know what they found."

Kyra looked at Tatara while Kusanagi nodded, "Alright, I'll do it right away."

 **\- x -**

"It's real," Blake sighed in relief, "We found one of their entrances! Fushimi, you're a fucking genius!"

Fushimi muttered something and looked away from her, "It was easy," His eyes flashed to the screen, "Almost too easy. They didn't even have any of their lower ranking members there to guard or to stop anyone from entering."

"It's still a start, and besides they probably didn't expect us to have someone like you who was capable of finding these things out," She smiled brightly, "Now all we need to do if find out if it's going to lead to their base, and then we make our move."

Fushimi looked at her, "You plan on attacking them in their own base?"

"If that's what it takes," Blake sat back in her seat, "We need to get to Kaori, and the easiest way would be to attack them at their home."

He shook his head and clicked his tongue, "You're making a mistake."

"Why's that?" Blake's brow rose.

"Your original strategy of luring them out was more proficient," Fushimi looked her in the eyes, "If you attack them head on like that, you know what will happen."

She sighed, "You're right, I forgot about Mikoto... He'll end up destroying the entire city from the underground, up."

Fushimi nodded, "We're better off making the Green King show his face on the ground than to go to him."

Blake nodded and crossed her arms under her bust, "We're just about ready for that, eh?"

"Just about," Fushimi began typing on his laptop, "I'm a step away from being ready to invade JUNGLE."

"Good, because we're running out of time before our key player loses his cool," Blake frowned, "I can understand why Mikoto is upset, but he needs to keep calm and let us do what we can."

Fushimi's eyes averted from the screen to her, "He's a loose cannon."

"Is that your opinion of him?" She looked at him.

He never answered her as he continued his work, so she took that as his affirmative answer.

"Have you talked to him since you left HOMRA?"

Fushimi clicked his tongue, knowing he wasn't getting out of this conversation even if he ignores her, "Briefly."

"And?"

" _And_?"

"Was that when you went with Keirsten?"

He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her, "How did you know that?"

"She told me that you and Yata were starting to get along again," Blake smiled, "So I assumed you went back to the bar and inevitably came face to face with Mikoto."

"He and I came to a mutual agreement that I'm not welcome there," Fushimi said, "I'm only allowed there if it's with Keirsten, even now that Yata and I are speaking again."

Blake nodded, "He'll be appreciative knowing that you're doing all you can to help find Kaori, Fushimi."

Fushimi scoffed, "I know that man well enough to know he won't change his opinion of me."

"You say that now, but I think otherwise," Blake smiled at him, "I wouldn't go so fast as to judge him at this moment in time, because it could have been any of the Kings. Munakata could have lost Eri, and despite him being so calm and collect I have a feeling he'd be in the same shape Mikoto is in right now if the positions were switched."

She heard a grunt escape from Fushimi before she giggled and sighed, figuring that was as good a spot as any to drop the subject. She was just about to get up to leave Fushimi alone to his work when her cellphone rang in her pocket. When she pulled it out, she saw _Kusanagi_ on her screen and answered immediately.

"Hey," She sat back in her seat, "What can I do for ya's?"

 _"Not much. We just wanted to know if you found out anything with those underground passages."_

"Actually, we did," She smirked, "We found one of the entrances to the Green clan's base, but please, please, _please_ don't tell Mikoto."

 _"Too late, he already knows but we managed to calm him down and keep him here. Although he's getting to the point where we're going to have to lock him up, soon. He ran into several lower JUNGLE players who were on a mission to capture Alani and promptly beat the shit out of them,"_ Kusanagi paused she could hear the change in his voice, _"Anna said he beat one of the nearly to death and left him for the others to find barely alive and with his clothing on fire so he'd be in more pain. I'm getting worried that he's really going to lose control, Blake. We all are."_

Blake's brows furrowed, "Damn. . . Well, do you what you have to do. We only need a little while longer before Fushimi is ready to hack into JUNGLE."

 _Well, I'll see what I can do. We shove Alani into his arms whenever he gets frustrated or looks like he's about to lose his temper, but that's only going to sate him for so long. Anna said she heard him the other night pacing in his bedroom well into the early hours of the morning, and it's like pulling teeth to get him to eat a full meal."_

"Can you blame him?" Blake sighed and shifted, "How's Alani handling all of this?"

 _"She doesn't understand where her mother and brother are and often cries sometimes even for Mikoto, so Kyra has been her stand-in but that's starting to wear thin. She's missing her mother, just like the rest of us."_

"Poor thing," Blake frowned, "Well, Munakata and I talked earlier after everyone returned safely from the mission and said they're ready to go whenever we are, so you guys get prepared to move any day now."

 _"You got it."_

When she disconnected the call, she turned to Fushimi and saw a scowl on his face while his eyes were locked onto the screen. Deciding to investigate, she leaned closer to him and went wide eyed when she saw what he'd been looking at.

 _"THIS IS KAORI SUOH._

 _SHE IS A QUEEN._

 _A BEAUTIFUL QUEEN, SHE IS._

 _AND THIS KAEN SUOH._

 _A PRINCE, OF SORTS."_

Both sets of eyes were glued to the screen as a pixilated version of Kaori was depicted, much like that same day she had fought Tenkei and exhausted her powers. It showed the vortex of power, but only this time there was another color leaking into the picture.

It was black, and it was surrounding her much like Mikoto's shared red flames.

"What the fuck is that?" Blake narrowed her eyes, "There's no such thing as a black aura, so why would they show this?"

Fushimi watched with a cold expression, "Unless there really is and that's what her hidden strength is?"

"You can't be serious," She frowned, "There's only seven Kings, not eight."

He shook his head, "Maybe she didn't inherit her black prowess from a King, but she's a different kind of supernatural being and that's why Nagare was so persistent in capturing her?"

Blake didn't like how clearly Fushimi's hypothesis made sense, her fingers gripping her PDA and her mind racing as to call Kusanagi back and tell him the news or to wait and see what happens. Either way, they would see this eventually and a whole new eruption of anger would spur from Mikoto Suoh. It was just a matter of time now, and they running out of options.

* * *

 **So! What of this rumored second power that Kaori may have? What do you guys think it is? Could she be a different being? I dunno! We all have to wait and see! :o**

 **Next chapter is going to be an intense one with a lot of turmoil in it, so stay tuned! ;)**

 **Also, next chapter will be out sometime this weekend. I figured since I'm on a roll that instead of grouping them all together in one huge pile I'd just post them as I went along. Now, as for those of you who follow "Pieces of Me", the Mikoto/Kaori mini side series, I'll be updating that one sometime this weekend, as well. :)**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	5. CH IV - NEMESIS

**Like I promised, here's the next update to the sequel! ;)**

 **All reviews will be posted in the next chapter, considering I had have two more already typed out and waiting to have a final read through. I just can't stop; I think it's a disease, really. LOOL**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 4**

 **Nemesis**

* * *

"Where the hell is Kaen?!" Kaori rushed towards Nagare but was caught around the waist by Yukari as she struggled to get to the Green King, "You tell me where my son is right now, you bastard!"

Nagare watched her with an amused expression, "He's safe and will be back in your arms in a few hours, don't worry yourself."

"Where the hell is he?" She stopped moving but Yukari never let go.

"Tenkei and several others are conduction a little experiment to see what he already knows," Nagare motioned for her to look at the holographic screen, "We removed the suppressor that was attached to his ankle so he can now freely wield his flames."

"What?" Kaori was wide eyed and left speechless, "Tell me where he is, now!"

"I'm afraid I won't allow you to interfere, Kaori," Nagare's eyes locked onto hers, "However, I can assure you that no harm will come to him. That is why Tenkei is currently there supervising and acting as his guardian."

Yukari felt her entire body shake as he tightened his grip on her, "Yukari," He looked at Nagare, "Please take her somewhere and have her relax until Kaen is brought back to her."

"Of course," Without warning, Kaori's feet lifted right out from underneath her as she struggled against Yukari's hold, "Please don't struggle, Kaori."

Ignoring his words, she fought against him even as they entered another room and headed to the middle of it. When Yukari set her down, she pushed away from him and turned to face him with her finger pointed right to his face.

"How could you let him take my son?!" Kaori glared, "I can't believe I trusted you even for a second!"

Yukari sighed and put his hands on his hips, "I didn't know Nagare was planning to experiment on your child."

"And why the hell not?" She asked, her tone loud and angry.

He shrugged, "Our Nagare does things sometimes on a whim, so it can't be helped."

She couldn't believe how relaxed he was about this situation, "I'm going to find him."

As she crossed the room, Yukari stepped in front of her and continued to block her as she tried to move around him. She gave a frustrated yell and stomped back towards where she'd been standing near the back of the room as Yukari set Ayamachi down off to the side of the door and turned to face her.

"Please don't cry," He noticed tears were streaming down her face, "He'll be fine."

She looked at him, "How do you know that if you weren't even aware that he was taken?!"

Without another word, Yukari crossed the room and suddenly pulled Kaori into his arms. It shocked her, rendering her speechless as he smoothed her disheveled hair in a soothing manner.

"You're going to cause yourself to hyperventilate if you don't relax," Yukari said in a soft tone, "Just relax. Tenkei is with him, and will make sure no harm comes to him. That old man seems to have taken a real fondness to your son."

Kaori shivered from head to toe and at the realization that the Gray King wouldn't let anything happen to him, after having a heartfelt conversation with him two days prior to this. He was a good man, and unfortunately for those who mattered, she trusted him and believed him.

The man standing so close to her as he held her in his arms was also another she trusted, despite the fact he was an enemy and would eventually be ordered to fight her.

"There," Yukari smiled, "That's better."

"Why have you been so nice to me?" Kaori asked, her face still lightly pressed to his chest, "Ever since I've been here, you've been nothing but polite and courteous to me."

Yukari chuckled and looked down at her, "Is it wrong of me to treat you like this when I've taken a liking to you? I enjoy your company."

"Really?" Kaori looked up at him, "But I'm a Queen to one of the enemy clans..."

"That doesn't matter at this point, now does it?" He smiled.

 **\- x -**

"Damn it!" Akiyama narrowed his eyes as he watched the short clip of Kaori fighting Tenkei on his laptop screen with all of the others around him, "What in the hell are we supposed to do if that short-fused Red King sees this? We'll have no choice but restrain the entire Red clan!"

Hana frowned, "I hate to say this, but I think you're wrong," She shocked all of the boys and leaned close, reaching for the touch pad and made some adjustments, "They may be trying to use this an a tactic to lure him out and to force him into battle, but if he watches this he'll be just as confused as I am right now."

"What do you mean?" Benzai looked at her, "That's Kaori, and Mikoto will–"

"Think about it," Awashima caught onto what Hana was saying and pointed, "There's a black substance leaking into her red vortex, so what does that signify? There is no such thing as a Black King, so there wouldn't be any cause to put that in there."

"So they're using this as a humiliation?" Akiyama looked back at his superior, "The Red's won't take lightly to their Queen being mocked and you know that."

Awashima folded her arms under her heavy bust, "You may be right about that, but this wasn't directed at just them. This was meant for all of us to see."

"Think they're on to what we've got planned?" Hana looked at Awashima, who couldn't do anything but shrug, "The Green King has access to all portals on the web, so even if Fushimi manages to create something powerful enough to crack JUNGLE's system, what's to stop Nagare from hacking into Fushimi's computer and watch what he's doing?"

All of the men went silent and nodded slowly at her words, when Munakata and Eri walked up to the table as they entered the room, "Sir."

"Fushimi is a head of the Green's at the moment," Munakata said with a stern voice, having heard their conversation from outside the room, "That's why he's in Miharashi Tower with Blake. Only the Gold King's system is strong enough to block all outside interference, so that gives Fushimi a chance to really spread his wings and create a powerful program."

"What of this, sir?" Enomoto asked, motioning to the laptop screen.

Munakata and Eri walked around so they were behind Akiyama, who pulled up the clip again for them to see. The Blue King's brows furrowed slightly in confusion, he too not understand why there was black consuming Kaori's vortex of flames.

"Interesting," He whispered, "Awashima," He looked at her, "Get in touch with the Red clan's liaison and discuss this matter with them. If they have any answers, I would like to know if that holds any significance as it could better our chances on finding the Queen before we run out of time."

"Understood," Awashima saluted him before disappearing from the room to get in contact with Kusanagi, knowing full well that if the Red's saw that clip, it would be chaos at the bar with each of the clansmen in an uproar.

 **\- x -**

 _"So, tell me how you two met?"_

 _Kaori looked at Tenkei and blinked, "You want me to tell you about how Mikoto and I met? Really?"_

 _"Well, sure!" He smiled and leaned back against the white sofa with his beer held just at the tip of his lips, "You two are an interesting pair, so I'd like to hear your story."_

 _She watched him curiously and shrugged, "I suppose. . ." She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts and tried to think of a way to minimize how much he would learn from her words, "We were both sixteen at the time when I met him in school."_

 _"Ah, so you're high school sweethearts," He smirked, "I knew it."_

 _Kaori couldn't help but giggle, "Yeah, I suppose you could call us that. We broke up more than once but we never really did get into any fights. Mikoto had a way of neutralizing all of the tension with just the way he handled things."_

 _"Oh? I would have thought he'd be a real hot-head in school," Tenkei admitted with a grin, "But I guess that comes from the red head stereotype."_

 _Kaori smiled, "Well, he did get into a lot of fights before he suddenly started setting things on fire. After that, people steered clear of him and made sure to avoid him. They even labeled him a demon at school, but he told me as long as it kept people away he didn't care. He just didn't want to be bothered."_

 _Tenkei laughed, "Hmm that sounds like something a man like him should say," He sipped at his beer and looked at her, "Did you ever think you'd be at this point with him?"_

 _"At first, no," Kaori smiled fondly at the good and bad memories, "At first it was hard because he was so used to me being the fragile girl that he first laid eyes on in school to a woman that could defend herself, so he pushed me away a couple of times in the process."_

 _"Did he now?" Tenkei mused, "I bet that didn't last long."_

 _She shook her head, "The longest we were a part for was three months, but when he came back he swore up and down that he would never look at me as what I was when he first met me and that's when he allowed me to finally join his clan. Only took four God damn years."_

 _Tenkei chuckled loudly, "Wow, he definitely didn't want you on the front lines, now did he?"_

 _"Well," She hesitated for a moment before sighing, knowing that he and Nagare most likely knew this about her already, "I have a blood condition that I've been recently treated for, so he was always a little more cautious with me than he'd like to admit."_

 _It didn't surprise her when Tenkei nodded, "I can imagine he made you stand back during disputes with the other clan's and gangs who invaded his territory?"_

 _"Oh yes," Kaori giggled despite herself, "Said to me the very first time I tried to rush out the door with the rest of them that if he saw me out there, he'd drag me back himself and lock me in his room after he barred the windows."_

 _"Sounds like he's a little on the possessive side?" Tenkei grinned._

 _Kaori nodded and sighed, "He is, but he's lightened up over the years. Now that we're married and joined together as King and Queen, I don't think he worries half as much as he used to."_

 _"About you being whisked away by another man?"_

 _"No," Kaori looked at him, "I can defend myself now, and that was always what burdened his mind the most when it came to me."_

 _"You know," Tenkei leaned back more against the sofa and looked up at the ceiling, "In classical Greek mythology, there is a Goddess named Nemesis. She is the Goddess of divine light and retribution. I believe where we stand at this point, you are very similar to her."_

 _Kaori's brow rose, "Why do you say that? I am not a bringer of revenge or retaliation for whatever reason."_

 _"I don't mean it that way," Tenkei looked at her and smiled, "I mean you're a harbinger of good, as the title would suggest for the divine light. I think you and Mikoto were brought together for a reason."_

 _Kaori felt her cheeks heat and nodded slowly, knowing he would understand more of what he was saying than she because of his time with the church and his holy clan._

 _"What would that make Mikoto?"_

 _"Hmm," He looked back up at the ceiling, "That's a good question. Possibly Hades, or maybe the lesser Greek God known in Roman terms as Vulcan, the God of Fire."_

 _Kaori nodded slowly, "You're a man of God but you're comparing us to the Greek mythological being?"_

 _Tenkei smiled, "I don't believe you or Mikoto are suitable to be compared to a heavenly being. It just wouldn't fit either one of you."_

Kaori's eyes fluttered open as she slowly woke up after finishing her tea with Yukari and falling into a light sleep. She sat up easily and looked around, noticing he'd brought a few of his products and a handheld mirror into the room as was up to his usual activity of admiring himself.

"How long was I out?" Kaori frowned, rubbing her eyes with her balled fists.

Yukari looked back at her and smiled, "A little over an hour."

She nodded and got up so she could fully stretch her back when she heard Yukari shuffle.

"Come here," He motioned for her to go over, so she walked to him and was pleasantly surprised to see Kaen sitting on his lap with his eyes staring brightly at his reflection, "See? He's back and in good health."

Kaori quickly bent down and scooped her child up in her arms, "Thank God!" She held him close and kissed his face several times over with a soft smile, "I was so worried about you, baby..."

Yukari watched with a smile, "When you smile like that, it's absolutely beautiful. I can see why you captured the heart of a man like Mikoto Suoh."

"Thank you," She looked down at him, "I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier."

He brushed her off, "I don't mind. You were a mother frantically trying to reach her child, so I understand."

Kaori smiled small and nodded before walking back over to her spot with Kaen and sat down. He hugged her neck as she held him and looked at her with his bright unusually bright amber eyes, "Kaen?"

"His mechanical suppressor hasn't been placed back onto him," Yukari looked over to her, "I wanted to warn you before you were given an unexpected surprise."

Kaori nodded slowly, her eyes flickering to Yukari and then back to Kaen, "Do you know what they found out?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Yukari smiled at his reflection before looking at her through the mirror, "Kaen was born much like a normal King would be, as Nagare and Tenkei had expected. However, he seems to have that special trait of black in his flames much like you do."

Her brows furrowed, "So, what does that mean?"

"They won't know until his blood test results come back."

Her aura flared, "They took a blood sample?!"

"If you wish to direct your anger at anyone, it would be Tenkei," Yukari looked at her from the reflection in the mirror again before he continued applying his facial cream, "He was the one who agreed for the others to draw a vial. He told me to tell you that he promises to reveal all findings as his way to apologize for taking Kaen without permission."

As angry as she was at that moment, Kaori couldn't help but feel slightly curious as to what the test would reveal. If things came back that Kaen and her both had some sort of other power, would that mean Alani had it too?

 **\- x -**

All of HOMRA stood back and watched as Blake and Shiro walked through the doors to the bar, each with content looks on their faces. They were slightly surprised to see each one of the members cleaning up the main bar area, as Blake cast Kusanagi a questioning look.

"What happened here?" Blake's brow rose, watching Chitose and Dewa putting one of the tables back in its rightful place.

Kusanagi sighed and rubbed his temples, "Mikoto happened, that's what."

"Oh," Shiro frowned, "He must have seen that clip."

"Oh yes, and did he ever get mad," Akira answered, "Tatara, Kyra, Kamamoto and Yata ran off after him when he stormed out of the bar. So far we haven't heard back from them whether or not anything has been blown up yet but like they say, _"No news is good news"_."

Blake nodded and sighed, "I really wish we could speed things along, but we're moving as fast as we can."

"Deep down I think he understands that," Kusanagi looked at her, "But Kaori was and still is Mikoto's one and only lover. He's never experienced this sort of thing because she's the only one he's ever been with so it's harder for him to understand that keeping calm in these types of situations is best. Hell, I don't think she's ever been taken hostage before even when she came on patrol with us."

Meira, Rin and Kian walked out of the kitchen doors and looked at Kusanagi, "We just heard from Kamamoto."

"So, how bad's the damage?" Kusanagi frowned.

"Actually, Tatara managed to talk Mikoto down again," Meira sighed, "But it's like Rikio said, it's only a matter of time before even Tatara can't reach him."

"I think we'll be behind him when that time comes," Blake looked at them, "Because I'm going to make sure when he's ready to spill out all that pent up rage, that the Green and Gray Kings are in front of him to fight with."

Rin's brow rose, "A little sadistic, aren't you?"

"It's not that," Blake frowned, "The more anger and aggression he keeps bottled up, the worse it will be when we finally lure Nagare out. If we don't let him fight, I'm worried that my city will be destroyed even after we get Kaori back."

Kusanagi chuckled, "It won't be your city so much as it will be the upstairs half of my bar."

Each member chuckled, knowing their King and Queen both had an intense libido and were constantly at one another on some days.

Shiro smiled, "Well, you'll all be glad to know we come bearing great news."

"Oh?" That got everyone's attention.

"Fushimi's completely finished his program and will be initiating phase one to our plan," Blake stated with her tone of authority as the Gold King, "So tomorrow, we head out for an all-out clan war if that's what it comes down to, which I believe it will."

 **\- x -**

Dawn was fast approaching as both the Red and Blue clan's waited impatiently for their work to begin. Neither set of clans had gotten much sleep with the anticipation of how things were going to during their battle again the Green's, but with every soldier and street fighter prepared for a brawl, the atmosphere was thick with a mixture of tension and confidence.

As the King's met in Miharashi Tower for the final time, Blake brought them to the control room where Fushimi had two laptops on front of him, as well as her personal networking system on the giant flat screen monitor that currently showed a detailed map of Shizume City's underground.

"We're ready, so Munakata," Blake looked at him, "You take your clansman and get down there with the Usagi. My men will do the job of breaking down barricades that may block your way, so be ready for anything that's behind those doors."

Munakata gave her a confident smirk, "Of course."

"As for you," She looked at Mikoto, "I'm going to have your clan waiting on the outside near another spot where we found another entrance to their underground system. We're hoping that if the Blue clan gets to them, that they will flush them out and up to the surface."

Mikoto's eyes narrowed, "I'm not letting Munakata go after my family."

"We need you up on the main level, Mikoto," Blake insisted, "Our priority is to separate both Kings if possible so that it will be easier to defeat them. That's where you come in."

The Red King was still not having any of it, "My clan can handle themselves without a problem. I'm going down there to get my wife and son."

"No, you're not," Blake glared, "If you do that, the entire plan will fall apart. Munakata has agreed to throw himself in the front lines so that when the time comes, we'll have one of the stronger fighters ready to go. You are a hand-to-hand combatant much like Nagare is when he's released his power, so Munakata's fighting style won't work against him. I won't say this again, Mikoto. We _need you_ to stay on the main level for when we draw them out."

Mikoto was in a stare down with the Gold King, both glaring at one another and not backing down. From the side, Fushimi watched with a disconnected look in his eyes.

To him, there were many flaws in Blake's plan and he knew eventually this would all lead to failure and humiliation, but with his program in motion, they had a chance. There was a lot at stake that was rested heavily on his shoulders, knowing that if the entire operation failed that he would be the one to blame.

"I want to get her back too," Blake suddenly said with a sigh, "But to let our strategy fall apart now could jeopardize the entire plan. Please, Mikoto... Just do what I say and trust in us."

Without a word, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and left the room with heavy footsteps leaving Munakata and Blake to watch him. Shiro, who had been sitting near the back of the room, frowned and sighed softly.

"When this is over, I won't be surprised if he gives up his right to be a King."

"Why?" Blake looked at him.

Shiro smiled, "If he loses his throne, so does she. I believe he'd do it just to protect the ones he loves."

. . .

 _"Munakata, are you all set to go?"_

"We've just arrived and are in hot pursuit of the Usagi," Munakata said into his earpiece, "They've destroyed several barriers and are heading deeper into the tunnel."

 _"Alright. We're on JUNGLE's website now about to activate the program, so be prepared for anything."_

"Understood," Munakata said before cutting the call.

. . .

"Ready?" Blake turned to Fushimi, who with a nod cracked his knuckles before he linked the two laptops together with a chord, "Alright, let's do this!"

Fushimi's fingers danced rapidly over the keys as he began his program, already having hacked his way through the three previous firewalls that had been used during his first test. As they neared the fifth, Fushimi began to concentrate more and switched from one laptop to the other. Blake was also typing fast, her eyes on the main screen as she watched the beacons that represented her men and the Blue clan delve further into the passageways.

"We're at the last firewall," Fushimi said, shocking Blake as she turned to stare at him, "This is where it will get tricky."

She nodded and turned to the screen, "Shiro, I think it's time you and I get out there."

"Alright," He stood up and looked at Kuroh, "You'll come with me while Kiyomi and Neko stay here. If anything happens, you know what to do."

Neko nodded with a grin, "Right!"

"Kuroh," Kiyomi looked up at him with a frown, "Be careful."

"I will," He stroked her cheek gently before leaving with Blake and Shiro.

. . .

"Man, how long are they going to keep us waiting?" Yata grumbled with impatience, also feeling the tension wafting off every one of his fellow clansmen.

Each one of them were armed and ready to go, eager to get their Queen back not only because she was stolen from them, but to put their King at ease once again.

Mikoto stood in front of all of his men in a rigid posture, his hands deep in his pants pockets and his eyes staring in front of him. It took all of his willpower not to use every ounce of his strength to break down the barricade, but knew that with Blake's warning there could be a chance that his intrusion made the way the outcome would flow change direction for the worse.

"Seri just informed me that they're getting close," Kusanagi looked over to Mikoto, "But still no sign of any of the Green's. There aren't even any regular players down there."

"They haven't spotted that brat or the pansy yet?" Yata looked at him.

Kusanagi shook his head, "No, they haven't seen either of them yet. When they do, they'll have reached the base and hopefully push them our way."

 **\- x -**

Kaori sat quietly with Kaen resting in her arms as she watched Sukuna playing a game on the television, smiling small at the way she felt like she was watching her own child enjoying his hobby. He was laying on his stomach with his feet kicking in the air, but she could still see the smirk on his face as he neared the end of the level he was currently on.

To her said was Yukari, who unlike the other times where he was fussing over himself, was also watching the younger male deeply caught in the game. Tenkei was sitting on the floor off to the other side of Kaori, as always with a beer in his hand and a content smile on his face.

Nagare on the other hand, was watching Sukuna with interest and was curious as to why the child picked the game he was currently playing as it was unlike the other's the Green King had seen him play.

It wasn't until a screen suddenly popped up in front of him that Nagare's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, seeing a warning sign stating someone was attempting to hack into JUNGLE. When he investigated, he noticed that the codes to the program that was so very close to cracking his own personal firewall was unlike the first attempt years ago.

"It would see someone is interested in disabling JUNGLE and is trying to hack into the system," Nagare announce, feeling all eyes on him at his words, "Sukuna, Yukari, please go outside and investigate while I see who our uninvited guest is."

Yukari got up right away and pulled his trench coat on before placing Ayamachi where it's holster was while Sukuna mumbled but paused his game, getting up to grab his scythe.

Kaori watched them with her brow quirking, "Has this happened before?"

"Once a couple of years ago," Tenkei smiled, "But no one has ever been able to best Nagare when it comes to that stuff. Although, this one kid came pretty damn close and made it all way, just like this hacker is doing right now."

"Maybe it's the same one?" Kaori pondered aloud, looking over to Nagare as he watched the screen.

Yukari leaned down and stroked Kaen's cheek gently before following Sukuna out of the room, "We'll be back shortly."

Sukuna cast Kaori an unreadable look before turning around, rushing out after Yukari without a word.

"Seems everyone has grown quiet attached to you two," Tenkei chuckled, "Even Sukuna is enjoying your presence around here, and the boy doesn't exactly enjoy female figures around him."

She blinked, "That look he just gave me, are you sure you're making a correct assumption?"

"I am," He smiled, "Sukuna has begun to look up to you like a motherly figure and takes your words into consideration as of lately."

"Oh?" She frowned slightly, knowing things wouldn't end well once she left.

"It's him," Nagare's voice pulled their attention over to him, "The one from before, it's him again."

Tenkei whistled, "Well, the kid's got balls."

"Who was it that hacked your server the last time?" Kaori blinked, "Surely you his name?"

Nagare shook his head, "With this created program, he left his credentials unknown however he's drastically changed his style of work. Instead of impeccably written software that is almost too perfect to be done by a mere teenager, this is sloppy and hard to pinpoint. It would seem he took my advice from our first encounter."

"Well, he's come this far so why not say hello?" Tenkei looked at Nagare.

The Green King nodded with a smirk, "Of course."

 **\- x -**

"Damn it," Fushimi ground out as he clenched his teeth together, his fingers still flying over the keys as he battled against the final firewall to JUNGLE, "He's fighting back."

Kiyomi walked over and stood off to the side while watching him, "Does that mean he knows everyone is out there waiting for him?"

Fushimi never answered her but allowed his eyes to quickly check the main screen above them with the beacons still lit up to show everyone was alive before looking back at his screen.

"Tell the other's to get out of there," Fushimi watched as a figure popped up onto the screen, "Now."

Kiyomi and Neko both frowned and quickly jumped into action, rushing out of the room to go and make their calls.

 _"Hello, again. It would seem you've taken my advice to protect your work rather than show it off as a piece of art. Most impressive."_

Fushimi narrowed his eyes with a smirk slowly creeping onto his lips, "So, you knew it was me all along?"

 _"Of course, as there has only been one person get close enough to successfully hack into JUNGLE. Shouldn't your talents be used someone better than what you're doing now?"_

"Like what?" Fushimi asked, still typing to see if he could crack the final code.

 _"You could always become a player of JUNGLE and work your way up to J-rank. I would be most flattered to have someone with skills such as yourself join my ranks."_

That caused Fushimi's hands to freeze for a split second.

 _"Talent like yours is better suited under a King who knows how to allow someone like you to blossom. You have great potential, and it would be a shame to let it go to waste, wouldn't it, Saruhiko Fushimi?"_

Fushimi's eyes narrowed. S _o he knows my name?_

 _"As we speak my two clansman are engaging the Blue clan and the Usagi and are successfully pushing them back. Tell me, when the Blue King weakens, what will you do?"_

. . .

Munakata shot forward, his blade clashing with Yukari's. The other male smirked and spun on his heel, swinging Ayamachi at the Blue King but was easily dodged.

"It would see you have some decent swordsmanship skills," Yukari mused, "But you still lack the grace and beauty of a real artist in movement."

Munakata smirked, "Yukari Mishakuji, of the former Colorless clan. It would seem Ichigen Miwa trained his pupils well."

"That he did," Yukari smiled, "But it was simply not enough. My skills were beyond his teachings when I left his clan and my darling Kuroh behind."

Munakata slashed Sirius twice, sending two aura blades hurdling towards the male. With an easy swipe of Ayamachi, Yukari negated the attack and dashed forward.

Meanwhile, it was taking all of the special unit of Scepter 4 to keep Sukuna at bay as he worked his way through the wave of men with a smirk on his face.

"Is this all you've got?" Sukuna taunted, "I'm unimpressed! You call yourselves the protectors of Shizume City?"

Hidaka glared, "Shut the hell up, brat!"

"Hidaka, remain focused!" Awashima commanded, "We need to stay in formation and continue with a neutral manner."

Sukuna chuckled, "Like that'll help!"

Surging forward, Sukuna aimed his scythe at Awashima and swung forward only to hit the steel of her blade and another. His eyes glanced to the side, seeing another female Scepter 4 member with a smirk on her face.

"For a brat, you're pretty strong," Hana grunted and with remarkable strength, managed to send the Green scythe wielder flying back a few feet.

He recovered easily and looked at her with narrowed eyes, "Who said you could interfere?"

"We're on a mission, so it doesn't matter what rules we break," Hana positioned herself in stance that would allow her to attack or defend, "I'll be your opponent from now on, kid."

Akiyama looked at her with desperation, knowing she was a very skilled fighter but wanting to see no harm fall on her, "Hana, I hope you know what you're doing."

"Just stay back and watch, Himori," Hana never took her eyes off Sukuna and smirked, "I'm going to enjoy this."

. . .

After hearing several muffled explosions coming from underground, the Red clan get antsier and were chomping at the bit. Not only had the fight started, but it didn't sound like they were headed their way. In fact, the sounds of explosions were beginning to drift away towards the other direction.

"What should we do?" Yata looked at Kusanagi, "Do we go in after them?"

"Why don't you ask me?"

Mikoto's eyes narrowed as Tenkei walked forward with a slack posture and a smile on his face, "So, you decided to show up."

"I didn't come here to fight but to deliver a message," Tenkei said, not before having to dodge a ball of fire that had been shot directly at him, "Hey now, let's not be hasty."

The Red Kings eyes were glowing and his aura was now visible, "Where is she?"

"She and her son are both doing well," Tenkei said, "However, we're not ready to surrender them back to you as of yet."

If Mikoto hadn't been angry then, he was definitely furious now.

"Tell me where she is," Mikoto said in a low, aggressive voice.

Tenkei smiled, "She's with Nagare at the moment, probably having tea after putting Kaen to sleep. Yukari and I managed to even sneak some adult foods into his diet already and boy, does that little guy eat up everything he's given. Quite the appetite for such a little guy."

All of the Red clan took a step back as Mikoto's shoulders tensed and the already expressed aura grew significantly. Even Kusanagi and Tatara remained back, knowing the Gray King pushed him to the point where he was beyond reasoning.

Mikoto's eyes were glowing and his fists were pulled out of his pockets and covered in a raging flame. They all watched as Tenkei prepared himself for the Red Kings first move, pulling his gun out as he casually began loading the revolving chamber.

"You're making a mistake, Suoh," Tenkei chuckled and smiled down at his gun, "If you were patient and were willing to make a compromise, we could work something out so that everyone wins."

Mikoto watched him and bawled his fists, "I'd rather kill you and then go break that scrawny bastard's neck."

"Now, I'm afraid I can't let you do that," The Gray King looked at Mikoto, "I'm Nagare's guardian. Do you think I'd let you go after him without a fight?"

"I was hoping you were going to say that."

 **\- x -**

"What the hell was that?!" Kaori shot up from her position on the couch, looking in the direction of what sounded like an explosion, "Nagare?"

He was watching the holographic screen with interest, "It's nothing to worry about, so please relax and drink your tea."

She frowned, "Are you guys under attack?"

He never answered her.

There was a moment where Kaori felt her entire body pulsate, followed by a tremendous explosion that shook even where they were situated. Nagare's eyes narrowed as he switched to a different angle, seeing that Mikoto Suoh was now engaging Tenkei in an intense battle that even the Gray King was being pushed back.

"It's them," She looked up at the ceiling as she brought her hand up to place over her heart, "Mikoto's here."

Nagare looked at her, "If you try to leave, you will give me no choice but to stop you."

"I made a promise," Kaori sighed and looked at him, "I won't leave until I've fulfilled my promise."

"How loyal of you," Nagare smiled before looking back at the screen, "Does it upset you to know he's in reach, but he will never make it down here?"

Kaori narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't rub salt in an open wound, Nagare."

"My apologies," His eyes were trained on the Red King, "As you may have noticed, I tend to speak bluntly and disregard other's emotions. However, I don't mean to anger you with my words, so please forgive me."

Kaori frowned and looked back up at the ceiling, "I see how it is," She felt Nagare's eyes on her, "You're trying to get Mikoto to exceed his limit, aren't you?"

When Nagare never answered her, she felt her stomach drop.

"What are you doing?" Nagare looked at her.

Kaori had activated her own sanctum, "I'm going to limit his power so he doesn't kill everyone around him."

"Stop," Nagare's eyes narrowed, "This isn't part of the plan."

"I don't give a flying fuck if it's a part of your plan or not," She glared at him, her eyes glowing an eerie red, "That's my husband you're trying to kill, and even if I can't go and help him on the battlefield, I'm sure as hell going to do what I can from here."

"I insists," Nagare stated with a cold voice.

Kaori looked at him with her own eyes flashing in defiance, "You really want to stop me?"

She could feel his own power circulating in the room and watched him smirk, "You yourself cannot defeat me, Kaori. Once again, I insist that you stand down immediately and finish your tea."

"I'm helping my husband, Green King," Kaori's hands were coated in red, when suddenly that mysterious black prowess began leaking into her flames, "Want to test your theory out or are you going to back down and let me do what I have to do?"

Nagare watched and suddenly his eyes were dancing with amusement, "I suppose it would only be appropriate for me to conduct the experiment."

"Try me," Kaori smirked.

* * *

 **Well, shit just got real and everyone's in at least some sort of fight!**

 **Are we about to see Kaori's mysterious power in action? Is Mikoto going to get through the Gray King in order to go and get her? What about the Blue's and their fight against Yukari and Sukuna? Shit's about to get more intense as the story progresses, so stay tuned! ;)**

 **Also, I'm using a new program that's kind of like Microsoft Word but it does something annoying when I put "..." together, so if you see ". . ." after someone has spoken rather than to separate some action scenes, please don't mind. I'll eventually get around to fixing it! :)**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	6. CH V - REAPER

**Kind of a short chapter to end today's updates. This will be the final update for this weekend and probably up until Thursday. I'm going to be fairly busy with cramming for our pre-exams for Friday and next Monday, so I'll do what I can up until that point. :)**

 **Also, I'll be updating Pieces of Me sometime this week as well. I have the next chapter hand written, so all I need to do is take an hour and type it all up!**

 **Halloween Witch – Haha yes! Both Kaori and Mikoto have violent tempers, that's for sure! ;) Sad to say that what you just read was him just barely hanging onto his self-control even when it seemed to slip, so there's more to come! Mikoto will lose it in this story, just not yet. ;) As for the fabled Black King that I have added into my series before, this DOES have something to do with that but not really at the same time. I'm stuck with an internal debate on what action I'm going to take as far as that goes, but either way both outcomes will work. Kaori's not who she seems to be, but no one knows or had any idea until Nagare decided to be nosy and snoop. I suppose we should thank him for that, right? Well, not so much when you read the chapter below! As for Fushimi, well... :o**

 **As I said this is a shorter chapter, but it's got the most impact so far in the series. Next update will be a two or three-chapter update. :)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 5**

 **Reaper**

* * *

"Men, don't break formation!" Awashima called back to the men who were slowly but surely losing the strength to keep up with their current opponent, "Scepter 4 must push through! Don't give up!"

Sukuna chuckled and smirked, "If you manage to get through me, you'll have a whole other ballgame waiting for you. Yukari is probably just playing with that lousy King of yours at the moment, but once he's done we're both wipe the floor with your faces."

Awashima bristled, "You..."

"Don't lose focus, Seri," Hana was beside her looking worse for wear, but she'd been the closest to getting Sukuna's back against the wall, "We need to stay calm no matter how hard they try to anger us. Sukuna is a child, therefore he's going to act like a child."

She nodded, "You're right," Awashima looked towards Sukuna and held her sword at the ready, "Let's do this and quick."

Hana nodded, "Alright men, prepare to charge forward and take control!"

"Aye!"

. . .

"Sounds like your partner has rallied all of my men up," Munakata mused, watching as Yukari stood across the expanse from him with a smirk on his features, "Shouldn't you run after him?"

Yukari chuckled softly, "Sukuna is quite capable of taking care of himself, I can assure you. However, it's you yourself that should be of concern at the moment, not your men."

Munakata dodged a wave of aura that Yukari had released from his blade as he charged forward, aiming to hit the elder man with a blast of his raw energy. Deciding to follow suit with Mikoto's fight style, the Blue King managed to gather enough of his power into his left hand and curled his fingers to create a fist.

Yukari smirked as he watched him, "If you think you can hit me with that blast of energy, I'll personally congratulate you."

The Blue King smirked back and held his blade up as a shield when Yukari effortlessly slammed Ayamachi down with shockingly brute force. Taking the opportunity, Munakata shot forward but never threw his fist forward. The Green clansman was momentarily confused when suddenly he was surrounded by the King's blue aura.

"I plan on taking you to Scepter 4 for interrogation," Munakata opened his fist and drew back, "That tends to go much better when your prisoner is alive."

Yukari grimaced slightly as the Blue King's power began to freeze his own inner aura, "I see, so you're trying to incapacitate me with your power, is that it?"

"You could say that."

There was a harsh gasp that left Yukari's lips as Munakata threw his left hand forward, his palm connecting to the other man's chest. It had not only knocked the wind out of the elder swordsman, but with a current of blue aura shooting out from his back there was no way he would recover from that so quickly.

Munakata smirked, "This game ends now."

 **\- x -**

"Well, I can't say I've been pushed this far in a long time," Tenkei sighed as he stood up after receiving a lethal blow of Mikoto's aura without the help of his shield, "You're really quite something, third King, Mikoto Suoh."

Mikoto was walking towards him with his hands in his trouser pockets, "If the situation was different I would accept that as a compliment, but really," His eyes narrowed, "I just want to find my wife and kid."

"Can't you feel her?" Tenkei chuckled, "She's been trying to activate her sanctum now ever since we began our fight."

He'd definitely noticed, which was why he continued to push himself and release the full extent of his red powers on the Gray King, "I'm aware, which is why I'm going down there to get her."

"That's not going to happen," Tenkei smirked, "I may be old but I've still got enough fight left in me to win this."

Mikoto smirked back, "You think you're in a position to threaten me?"

There was an echo of shots fired as Tenkei had rapidly released a flurry of bullets towards the Red King, who easily dodged them and surged forward. Tenkei also shot forward, spinning on his heel as he swung the gun in his hand to hold the main compartment and aimed the butt of his gun towards Mikoto's torso. Before the gun could connect, Mikoto's red-coated hand shot forward and grabbed the other King by his neck. There was a moment where all went silent, when Tenkei adjusted his hold on the weapon once more and pressed the tip into Mikoto's stomach.

"Mikoto!"

Tenkei smiled, "It's nothing personal. We just need a little more time with your lovely wife."

Mikoto grunted loudly and tensed considerably when the bullet, this time being a mixture of the Gray King's aura and a real silver bullet, penetrated his red aura straight through to his abdomen. Tenkei was easily able to shake off the Red King's grip on his neck when Mikoto shot forward again, surprising the elder King with a flaming fist to his face.

All eyes watched as the Gray King was sent flying back before Mikoto rushed forward, his aura now intensified and his eyes hostile and filled with an animalistic rage.

"Damn it, we're fucked if this gets out of hand," Kusanagi muttered before looking back the clan, "Get out of here, now!"

"But Mikoto–" Yata began to protest but was silenced with a sharp glare from their second in command.

"I said, get out of here. Now!" Kusanagi growled.

Tatara watched and felt a cold, bitter wave of power hit him as he watched their King assault the Gray King mercilessly. It didn't matter that red was now staining his white shirt or that he was slowly reaching the peak where his sword would once again be at its maximum capacity, all he knew for sure was that the Red King was literally seeing red and wanted blood.

"Mikoto!" Tatara had begun to race forward but was caught by Kusanagi, "Let me go, Izumo. Someone has to stop him!"

"We can't do anything now, Tatara," Kusanag was watching their King and grimaced when his fist slammed into the ground after barely missing Tenkei, "He's in a league of his own now."

Tenkei continued to dodge the sharp, uncontrolled but freakishly precise attacks being directed at him by the Red King. His eyes were vacant of the usual warmth and relaxation that were usually seen in them that was now replaced with a serious, careful expression. He was literally running from the Red King now, trying to find the right moment to strike back without getting himself critically injured.

Not that Kusanagi could blame the Gray King. Mikoto looked absolutely terrifying as he relentlessly charged forward, leaving tiny explosions and craters wherever his fists would collide with.

 **\- x -**

 _"You know, there's something I've been meaning to ask you," Kaori sat down with Blake and looked at her with a smile, "Or rather, ask for a favor."_

 _"Sure," Blake looked at her, "Ask away!"_

 _Kaori looked at her hands before her eyes met the Gold King's, "I'd like to have a biological search done on my entire family leading up to the past fifty years."_

 _"Oh?" Blake blinked and leaned on her desk, "Why's that?"_

 _"I think something's wrong with me, but I don't know how to explain it," Kaori sat back in her seat and sighed, "It just feels like sometimes that... I'm going to lose myself, you know?"_

 _Blake frowned, "Do you think it's something you got from a great grandparent or something?"_

 _"I don't know, but that's why I came to you. I want to find out everything I can," Kaori looked at the two infants currently sleeping soundly in their duel stroller, "If not for me, but for them."_

 _The Gold King smiled, "Leave it to me."_

Blake felt her heart wretch when she ran back into the office to find that Fushimi had disappeared. After receiving a very frantic, worried phone call from Kiyomi and Neko, she rushed back as fast as she could to see what was going on.

"Where the hell did he go?" She looked around for any evidence that would suggest he'd left to join them on the field, when she caught sight of one of the open screens left by his connected laptops, "That bastard, he didn't...?"

She slowly walked over and sat down, her eyes narrowed as she scanned through what had been done and found that Fushimi himself had cut off the program when he was a click away from completely invading or perhaps even crumbling JUNGLE's main system.

"Fushimi, where the fuck did you go?" Blake muttered to herself before pulling out her PDA, "Damn it! Why the hell did he have to do this now of all times?!"

. . .

Shiro was quickly making his way underground to assist Munakata and his clan when he felt his PDA vibrate, causing Kuroh to quickly stop beside him when he'd pulled his phone out, "Blake? What's wrong?"

 _"It's Fushimi. He's gone, and he destroyed the connection from the program."_

"What?!" Shiro's eyes went wide, "But, why?"

 _"That's what I'd like to know... Fucking prick, wait until I get my hands on him!"_

"Calm down, Blake," Shiro frowned and cast Kuroh a warning look, "We're going to go help Munakata and see to it that even without Fushimi's help, we still get through this."

 _"I don't know if you should. I have no way in securing your escape route or to make sure you're all going to be okay. Without Fushimi, I can't even keep tabs on where you are or who could be heading for you."_

Shiro smiled softly, "Don't worry, Blake. I'll protect them with my life."

There was slight pause before he heard her sigh on the other end, _"Fine, but be careful."_

"I will, I promise," Shiro and Blake said their goodbyes before he looked at Kuroh, "We need to hurry. Fushimi's gone and he cut the program, so the Blue clan might be in some real danger."

Kuroh's brows furrowed but he didn't question his King, following him quickly as Shiro rushed forward into the tunnel that had already been cleared by the Blue's and the Usagi.

 **\- x -**

Tenkei continued to run backwards away from Mikoto as the Red King charged at his without rest, not giving him a chance to retaliate. Every time the Gray King thought he could get a swipe in, Mikoto would surprise him with a blast of his fiery aura. No matter what he did, Mikoto was one step ahead of him although unknowingly.

Mikoto was working off pure adrenaline and his aura, having allowed his flames consume his conscious.

"Suoh," Tenkei called out, "If you plan on walking away from this fight with your clansman, I suggest you wake up and calm down before you cause another Kagutsu Crater incident."

Mikoto came to a skidding stop as he and Tenkei faced each other, their eyes locked as they waited for the other to make a move.

"If I have to burn this entire city down to find her," Mikoto's voice was coarse and lethal, "I will. I don't care who stands in my way."

Tenkei shook his head, "That's not the answer to everything, Red King," He held his hand up to activate his personal shield as Mikoto shot a huge burst of flames his way, "If you destroy the city, you may end up killing her in the process."

Kusanagi, who was standing off to the side, narrowed his eyes, "Fuck, he's just riling him up."

"We need to do something," Tatara frowned, "If he pushes himself any further, I'm afraid King may overextend himself."

Kusanagi was about to respond to that when his PDA began to vibrate, "That's not a good sign," When he pulled it out of his breast pocket he saw Blake's name and frowned, "Kusanagi here."

 _"Get out of there."_

"What happened?" Kusanagi's brows furrowed.

 _"Fushimi split and terminated the program, so we're going in there blindly. There's also a fifth upsurge of power that doesn't belong to Munakata, Shiro, Mikoto or the Gray King. Someone else is there and it's unidentified on our systems, so it's not Nagare. I don't care what you have to do, but get out of there now."_

Kusanagi pocketed his phone when the line went dead and looked at Tatara, "We're in trouble," He looked over, "Mikoto! We have to get out of here, now!"

He wasn't surprised when their King ignored them, continuing his assault on Tenkei Iwafune. Eventually, it got to the point where the building that the Gray King had walked out of was crumbling to the ground after getting a massive amount of mixed red and gray aura aimed towards it.

"KING!" Tatara hollered loudly, his hands cupped around his mouth to amplify his voice, "WE HAVE TO GO, _NOW_!"

Suddenly, Mikoto froze, leaving himself momentarily open for another attack but Tenkei surprised them all when he held his hands up in surrender, "Enough, I give up."

Tatara ran over to Mikoto and placed a hand on his shoulder, "King, we have to go. Please, come with us."

"It's..." Mikoto's eyes were wide and staring a head of himself.

Tenkei looked at him and ignored the glare flashed at him from Kusanagi, "What is it?"

"Kaori..." Mikoto's voice was laced with emotion, "She's..."

Tatara's eyes went wide eyed, "Did she activate her sanctum?"

"She's gone..." Mikoto breathed out as though that very air had been knocked out of his lungs, and soon his knees gave out before Tatara or Kusanagi could grab him, "... I can't feel her anymore."

Even Tenkei went wide eyed, much like all of HOMRA as they slowly approached the Red King.

"What?"

 **\- x - x - x -**

"How the fuck could we have been so blind?" Yata ran a hand through his hair as Reina rubbed his upper arm gently, "Of course Saruhiko would do something like this."

Reina frowned and looked at everyone, "You're sure he defected to the Green's?"

Blake nodded, "Someone should have been there with him," She looked at Kiyomi, "I'm so sorry for leave you two there alone with him. He could have hurt you and Neko."

Kiyomi shook her head, "When he said that the Green King was fighting back, Neko and I left to call everyone. We were just outside the hall so there's no way he could have slipped passed us. I don't understand how he got out of that room."

"He knew about the other door that leads to the main stairwell," Blake frowned and crossed her arms under her bust, "I showed him that in case of an emergency."

Shiro looked at her and smiled small, "Don't blame yourself. None of us knew this would happen."

"I had a feeling this would happen," Munakata spoke and suddenly all eyes were on him, "Once a traitor, always a traitor. He must have been offered something he couldn't refuse."

"Should we call Keirsten?" Reina looked at the Blue King, "She would know what's going on. He tells her everything."

Munakata looked at her, "If you feel that would satisfy your curiosity."

Reina looked at Yata and saw the expression on his face, knowing he wanted some answers so she excused herself from the room to go and call the one person who may know where Fushimi was.

"Where is Mikoto Suoh?" Awashima asked, looking around but not seeing the familiar red head anywhere in sight.

There was a grim look that fell on all of the Red clan's faces, causing the air to run thick in the entire room.

Kusanagi looked at everyone, "About that," He sighed and his fingers through his blond hair, "He's currently with Anna, Alani and Kiseki at the bar where we know he won't get himself into trouble."

"Did something happen?" Blake frowned.

"I don't know how to say this any other way but, Kaori's aura and presence disappeared," Kusanagi stated bluntly, "We think she's gone."

Munakata's eyes narrowed, "She was killed?"

"No," Blake went wide eyed while Shiro stared at him in disbelief, "She can't be."

"Mikoto was fighting against Tenkei Iwafune when we got the call from Blake," Kusanagi sighed and pocketed his hands, "It was at that point when Mikoto finally came back to his sense that he said he couldn't feel her anymore."

"That means that Suoh really does pose a threat as of now," Munakata brought his fingers up to curl around his chin, "Should we restrain him until we can get an upper hand on the situation?"

Blake shook her head, "I think that would only make things worse and the way the Red clan is dealing with it right now is the best way to go. Mikoto would never hurt those girls, so he's where he needs to be in order to keep calm."

"Anna is to call immediately if something happens," Kusanagi looked at Munakata, "She's worried about him more than any of us because she can see his aura. She told me that his inner aura, the one that circulates around his sanctum, has become detached and is growing stronger. When I did some digging into the former Red King and why he lost control, it was for that very same reason. If Kaori died, there's no reason for him to hold onto the last shred of control."

"What about his daughter?" Hana asked with a frown, "He wouldn't leave her without parents? Or his son. What if we find his son and he's alive and well?"

Kyra was the one to answer with a teary-eyed expression, "He told Tatara that they would be safe with us."

"So he's prepared to die, is he?" Munakata closed his eyes, "Gold King, what is it you wish to do in regards to Suoh should he become a problem?"

All eyes fell on Blake as she took in a deep, shaky breath, "If it comes down to protecting the people of Japan, I will either kill him myself or have Shiro help me strip him of his powers as a King. Somehow I feel like the latter of the two options would be more difficult than it sounds, considering Mikoto does have the most volatile of all the seven powers."

"He has the capabilities of becoming the strongest King, but it's a price," Shiro looked at Munakata, "To obtain the power far surpassing that of Blake and even Nagare, he'd have to surrender his soul to the flames inside of him. If my suspicions are correct, it's that fine line of sanity that Mikoto's currently teetering on as we speak."

"Then we should act now and subdue him," One of the Scepter 4 members said urgently, "We can't hope to defeat the Red King if gets like that!"

Blake looked at them, "I won't let it get to that point. Either Shiro or I will take responsibility and handle Mikoto Suoh if and when the time comes."

"First we need to find Kaori," Kusanagi sighed, "Which will be more difficult now that she's either incapacitated or really gone."

"Guys," Reina stepped back into the room with a frown, "I just got off the phone with Keirsten. She said Fushimi hasn't called her or gotten into any form of contact with her for days now, and she's worried because she doesn't know where he is either."

Awashima frowned, "That boy, of all the times... What could he be thinking?"

 **\- x -**

"Ah, welcome Saruhiko," Nagare smiled as he watched the broody young adult walk into their main base behind Yukari, "I'm delighted that you agreed to come and meet with me."

Fushimi eyed him, "Hn," His eyes traveled from face to face until they landed on a familiar shade of red, "Is that one of Mikoto's children?"

"Why yes, it is," Nagare confirmed.

Fushimi looked at him, "So if he's here, where is Kaori?"

"She's currently..." Nagare thought for a moment to piece together the right words, "Not of this world."

"What?" Fushimi's brows furrowed. _So it's true, she did get killed._

"Please, have a seat," Yukari motioned for Fushimi to find a spot and took a seat himself at the round table in the middle of the room, "You have been secretly earning JUNGLE points to jump ranks even behind your former superiors back. Why is that?"

Fushimi eyed him, "At first it was curiosity to know how exactly your system worked, but now I just want to see what lies at the end of the tunnel."

"Well, we welcome you with open arms, Saruhiko," Nagare looked at him before looking over to an angry Sukuna, "Is something the matter?"

"No," He huffed, not looking at anyone while he sat with his arms crossed, "It's nothing."

"I understand you had previous affiliations with HOMRA," Nagare drew Fushimi's attention back to him, "Tell me how close you were to the Red Queen?"

Fushimi looked at him, "As close as any of the others. She never picked favorites nor did she judge any of the members that would be new arrivals."

"Ah yes, she was a very gifted young woman with the personality that simply drew you in," Yukari sighed softly, "It's a shame, really. Wasted on a brash, ungraceful man like Mikoto Suoh."

Nagare looked from Yukari to Fushimi, "I apologize for him. You see, he has taken a personal interest in the Red Queen."

"When you say it like that you make it sound like I am in love with her, Nagare," Yukari looked at him and smiled, "She's intriguing."

Tenkei suddenly entered the room, mildly surprised to see a new face but smiled nonetheless, "Ah, so this is the newcomer I've been hearing about. Welcome~!"

"Thanks," Fushimi muttered, "You must be the Gray King, Tenkei Iwafune."

Tenkei nodded and grinned, "That I am. Have you been settled in?"

"They just arrived, old man," Sukuna muttered loudly.

"Why so glum, Sukuna?" Tenkei looked at him, "Are you upset about something?"

"NO!" Sukuna glared, "I'm not!"

Fushimi looked up at Tenkei, "Where did you bury Kaori's body?"

"She hasn't been moved to another location yet so she is still in her room," Tenkei went to the fridge and grabbed a beer, "She isn't truly dead, either."

Cobalt eyes narrowed, "What do you mean?"

"It is a theory that so far has been proven as true," Nagare looked at Fushimi, "As you may or may not be aware, Kaori Suoh possesses two auras, only one has never been detected before."

"How is that possible?" Fushimi looked at him.

"That's what we're looking to find out, too," Tenkei looked down at Fushimi, "During my battle with the Red King, Nagare had to fight Kaori to keep her down here and away from the surface. When she'd exhausted her powers to the point where her body had given out, she was consumed by a black aura that is still currently protecting her even though she is unconscious and showing no signs of life."

Fushimi nodded slowly, "Do you think she was supposed to be another King?"

"Not entirely, but that is where the Silver King would come into play if we could sit him down and pick his brain from all the research he had done," Tenkei sighed, "But that will be near impossible now that we're in hiding from that explosive beast up on the ground level."

Yukari smiled, "Mikoto Suoh definitely gave you a run for your money, didn't he Tenkei?"

"That he did," The elder male dropped down on the couch, "Bloody fool wouldn't listen to reasoning."

"He's always been a loose cannon," Fushimi stated, repeating his words he'd once said to Blake, "Now that Kaori is presumed dead it will only get worse. Before I left Scepter 4, I checked his Weissman levels and they were nearing the dangerous point."

"Now that he does not have his Queen to cap his power, this will get interesting," Nagare smirked, "He may prove to be quite the challenge for me."

"What of Kaori's body?" Yukari looked at Nagare, "Shall I move her to a more appropriate spot to lay her to rest?"

"Not yet," Nagare looked at him, "I wish to see what will happen when she finally wakes up, if she is herself or if black prowess has a mind of its own."

* * *

 **Hmmm, stop there! ;)**

 **SO! There's a possibility that Kaori is dead! :(**

 **And it's official now, that our darling Fushimi has now become the wild card everyone will now have to watch out for. That's the most I'll be revealing, so stay tuned to find out more! ;)**

 **I know some of you will read this and hate me for eternity, but do not fret! This sequel is far from over. ;D**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	7. CH VI - VOID

**And just when you guys thought it couldn't get worse, it got worse with the potential death of miss Kaori! Although I don't like the idea that this chapter seems rushed, I couldn't hold it back any longer!**

 **Plus, I'm home sicker than a fucking dog since one of the guys in my class came in with his cold and wouldn't go home even when the teacher tried to send him, so we're all getting sick. I just happened to know when my body tells me to sit the fuck down. LOOL so I figured post this now!**

 **MissAnimeMiss – Mayyyybeeeeee! I can't share and tell to you without spoiling the whole thing! ;) And thank you for the compliments! :D**

 **Mrs.1DJessup – How dare I NOT fuck with your feelings! Tis what I do best as an author~ ;)**

 **This one is filled with goodness, so I hope you all enjoy it! ;)**

 **Also, I apologize for the cheese you may see in this. As we are all aware, Mikoto has the potential to become a mushy guy in the presence of his woman, so keep that in mind before you flame me (pun intended) for him being out of character! I will make it up to ya'll in the coming chapters, trust me. Thanks. ;)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 6**

 **Void**

* * *

Rage. Pure, unbridled rage.

Mikoto sat silently, seething in his own fury as he held Alani close to his chest. She was gripping his shirt and move every now and then against him, keeping his attention on her rather than his own thoughts. The death of his wife weighed heavily on his mind, and he didn't know if he was capable of moving passed it.

She was gone.

She was gone, and he couldn't do a damn thing about it.

When he closed his eyes, all he could see was he looking up at him with a smile as she reached up to touch his face. He could practically feel her skin against his own starting out as the warm, welcoming touch he knew so well that slowly began to fade to something more cold and distant. Her kisses, once full of a powerful yearning for the Red King were now emotionless and as if they were forced. Those eyes of hers, a stunning chocolate that was so vibrant and full of life, were now nothing but hollow slates void of all she was feeling.

If Mikoto never took another moment of sleep, it would still be too soon if he were to see her dead form laying heavy in his arms each time he closed his eyes.

Off to the side, Anna sat on the floor as she occupied Kiseki, her gaze every so often drifting to the one whom she worried about constantly. His aura had become cold and uninviting, leaving her to practically feel his murderous intent closing in around her. The air was constantly thick now to the point where it threatened to choke all those in its wake, making being near the Red King near impossible unless in small doses.

"Mikoto..." Anna frowned sadly, "Don't leave us too..."

 **\- x -**

"Fushimi," Yukari walked up behind the younger male after having found him standing beside Kaori's bedside in the room she'd been laid to rest in, "Have you come to pay your respects?"

The younger male never looked back at him, "I find it hard to believe that she just died. I've spent enough time around the entire Red clan and been under her influence long enough to know she wouldn't let Nagare come close to touch her without a real fight."

"Oh?"

"She wouldn't go down so easily," Fushimi glanced back at the taller male, "There's a reason why she and that bastard Mikoto are so compatible."

"You're right," There was a strange undertone to Yukari's voice that Fushimi couldn't quite place, "She was put down for a specific reason. Our Nagare is trying to tempt that hidden power out of her in the hopes it will manifest itself once she wakes up from her temporary death."

Fushimi finally looked at him fully, "The Gray King let Nagare make that call?"

"Mm," Yukari walked up to Kaori's body and reached down to gently stroke her cheek with an glove-less hand, "When she wakes up, I honestly believe she will be an entirely different being."

"What do you mean?" Fushimi's brow rose as he watched him, "Like, possession?"

"Tenkei has been searching for an answer as to why she expels a black aura whenever she's pushed to the point of no return and her life is in danger."

"What has he found so far?"

"Our Tenkei was once a holy man," Yukari looked at him, "He believes that Kaori will become a harbinger of necrosis but more specifically to us beings who possess supernatural powers."

Fushimi scoffed, "A reaper?"

"Not a reaper of sorts, but something that could possibly be linked with the slates as a way to kill the Kings," Yukari sighed, "Where there is hope there is despair and where there is power there is consequence. Perhaps this is the slates way of regaining control over the Kings now that Kokujoji is no longer with us."

"So in other words," Fushimi's tone was sarcastic and brash, as though he was mocking Yukari, "That when Kaori wakes up, she'll be a killing machine?"

"If you wish to use that terminology, yes," Yukari looked down at her again with a worried expression, "Whatever the outcome, all of our lives are at risk now that she is transitioning."

The younger male's brow rose, "But this is all just an opinion shared by all of you?"

"Tenkei is positive that whatever happens, it won't be good," Yukari stroked her cheek once more before looking at Fushimi, "Have I told you too much?"

Fushimi watched Yukari closely with his eyes slightly narrowed, "You're awfully protective of someone who belongs to a King."

"I can't help myself," Yukari smiled down at the pale woman, "She's peaked my personal interest."

Fushimi's tongue clicked, "Tell me something. Is it true that Tenkei had taken a sample of Kaen Suoh's blood?"

"Yes, he did have a vile drawn from the child," Yukari confirmed.

"Where does he fit into all of this?"

"My, full of questions today," Yukari chuckled before looking at him, "Kaen Suoh has perhaps taken the Red Kings mannerisms and is his mirror image on the outside, but he and his mother are one in the same. When she transforms, it may trigger the infant's transition as well."

"Tch," Fushimi muttered something under his breath, "Why would Nagare release something like this?"

Yukari smiled, "It was bound to happen eventually, but I myself cannot answer that question. Whatever the reason may be, our Nagare feels that she will greatly appreciate the new world in his vision and be more suited to it in her new form."

 **\- x -**

On the other side, Blake and Shiro were discussing the same topic amongst themselves trying to find answers to the questions concerning Kaori's new power.

"If this is right then how the hell did no one know about this sooner? Not even Scepter 4's system picked this up, for fuck sakes," Blake sighed in frustration, "We have to tell Mikoto."

Shiro looked at her with a small smile, "To be honest, I don't think we should tell him just yet. He's been with her for almost nine years at this point and this is the first any of us are hearing of it.

"Shiro," Blake looked at him with a sullen expression, "What if we have to kill her? I mean, if she's only out of commission temporarily and wakes up not knowing herself and tries to attack us? We don't know what she's capable of anymore."

"If it comes to that, I'll do it," Shiro sighed and sat back in his seat, "I'm the immortal King, so she won't be able to kill me if it comes down to a fight."

Blake frowned, "You can't know that for sure."

"I won't let you or Mikoto be the one to bear that burden, nor will I allow Munakata the satisfaction of being the one to handle this situation."

"He's going to want to do it himself," Blake sighed and rubbed her temples, "Mikoto will want to be the one to kill her, and if he does I have a strong suspicion that he'll force himself to overextend and that'll be that. I think I know him well enough from what I've observed to make that correct assumption."

"For everyone's sake, I hope we're both wrong," Shiro rubbed her upper arm gently.

Blake looked at him with sad eyes, "Me too."

. . .

"Sir," Awashima walked into Munakata's office with several papers in her hands, "I have the final report for the last reading of those levels you'd requested."

"And?"

"There has been a slow but steady increase to Mikoto Suoh's Weissman level, but he has not breached that danger point as of yet. As for the mysterious aura that we originally believed was being produced by Kaori Suoh, it has recently spiked to a critical level just three hours ago but we are still unable to pinpoint the location."

Munakata nodded, "Very well. Begin by tracking down every location where this power has been picked up and registered by each individual sensor and report back to me."

"Sir," Awashima turned on her heel to leave before slowly coming to a stop, "Captain."

"Yes, miss Awashima?"

"What will happen if that really is the Red Queen?"

She heard Munakata take in a deep breath and felt her stomach flop, "Persuading the Red King to eliminate her will be a difficult challenge, indeed."

Silently, Awashima nodded before taking her leave.

. . .

"So it is her," Kusanagi frowned, his grip tightening around his phone, "I know, Seri... No, we'll think of a way around that. Anna can't see Kaori anymore when she tries to use her power, so we're running blind here as well."

Akira stood off to the side after returning from running her errands and caught the dismal expression on his face, "What's the matter?"

He motioned to her to wait just a moment before answering Awashima, "Okay, thanks for that, Seri. I'll let you know if it comes to that," When he disconnected his call, he turned and looked at Akira, "It's confirmed really is the one that is behind that new aura. Seri told me that she was talking to Blake, and that Shiro is willing to take responsibility of putting Kaori down if it comes to that. They're not going to let Munakata do it, nor will Blake allow Mikoto to either."

"What?!" Akira's eyes went wide and began to water, "But, Kaori's–"

"I know," He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "When she wakes up, who knows what'll happen."

 **\- x -**

 _"Where in the hell did that girl run off to?" Kaori muttered to herself as she searched the entire bar for Kyra, "Kusanagi, did you see where Kyra went? We were supposed to go out for the day."_

 _Kusanagi looked over at her with a grin and set down an already prepared drink for her and motioned for her to take a seat, "The girls stole her to go and buy your birthday gift."_

 _"What?" Kaori blinked and giggled, "Oh yeah, I'd almost forgotten it was my birthday today," When she walked over she looked down and immediately noticed the glass was filled with her favorite alcoholic beverage, "Trying to get the pregnant lady drunk, Mister Kusanagi?"_

 _He smirked, "You're only six and a half months along so one won't hurt."_

 _"Fineeee, twist my rubber arm why don't you," Kaori smirked back before picking up the glass to take a long, drawn out sip, "Damn it, you still remain superior when making amazing drinks."_

 _"Why thank you, mademoiselle," Kusanagi fake bowed to her and smiled when she giggled._

 _"So, where is everyone?"_

 _Kusanagi looked at her, "Everyone went out to go and get everything for your birthday party this evening."_

 _"I told them not to," Kaori sighed, "But it's like arguing with one giant brick wall. Especially if their ring leaders name is Tatara Totsuka."_

 _"Mm," Kusanagi nodded in agreement before shooting her a sly look, "I'll confess, on my way here this morning I went and picked up your gift."_

 _Kaori groaned, "Not you too!"_

 _"I'm sure you'll like it when you see it," Kusanagi smiled, reaching over to place his hand on her head to ruffle her hair a little, "Mikoto also left a while ago with Anna."_

 _She smiled up at him before blinking, "He did?"_

 _"Anna insisted that he go with her to pick out her gift to you," There was a change in his demeanor as he leaned onto the counter with a teasing grin, "I know what he got for you."_

 _"Probably something perverted that can be used in the bedroom," Kaori said bluntly with a deadpanned expression causing Kusanagi to blink, "Like an itty-bitty baby doll lingerie set or a fucking handcuff and rope set for the both of us. He's getting kinky in his old age, Izumo. So much so that it's starting to scare me, so God knows what it could be?"_

 _"Handcuffs and ropes?" Kusanagi blinked again before laughing, "You're way off, Kaori. It's actually nothing like that at all."_

 _"Well, there's a first," She grinned._

 _"I was with him when he bought it. At first I didn't know what it was until he explained it to me," Kusanagi smiled, "Once you understand what it is and what it actually means, you'll love it."_

 _Kaori's brow rose, "Oh?"_

 **\- x -**

It was cold; so dark and very cold. Her body felt heavy, as if she drowning or locked in a thick sea of ice. She felt as though she couldn't even open her eyes, desperately wanting to see what was around her even if it shattered her hope of ever escaping this hopeless situation. She wanted to see if there was a small glimmer of hope somewhere – anywhere, she didn't care.

Whenever she would reach out into the dark expanse, she was met with painful resistance that shocked her to the very core.

 _Where am I? Am I dead?_

Another reach for salvation left her shaking with pain and terror.

 _Is this real? If it is, how did this happen?_

Slowly, she brought her arms up to wrap around herself to try and contain what little heat her soul had held onto. She curled in on herself, trying to find some semblance to comfort or security in her own stability.

 _"I love you."_

 _That voice..._

Ever so slowly, her eyes opened.

Her chocolate orbs were met with a pleasant picture of a man with fiery red hair who smiled down at her with such a loving expression, it began to return the warmth into her chilled body. She wanted so badly to reach out towards that man, desiring more of the heat that was beginning to flood into her once again but his face disappeared to reveal another.

 _"She will become a harbinger of necrosis."_

Her brows furrowed in confusion.

 _"Not a reaper of sorts, but something that could possibly be linked with the slates as a way to kill the Kings."_

She shook her head, her eyes going wide with disbelief and felt the heat rush out of her core.

 _No, I'm not going to kill anyone... I'm not..._

She suddenly felt her entire body pulsate painfully, wreaking havoc on not only her physical self, but shattering her inner thoughts as well.

As she curled into herself more to try and will the pain away, she could feel an icy presence surround her, wrapping itself around her form starting from her feet up. It was constricting and overbearing, as it was trying to snuff the life out of her from the inside, out.

 _W-What is this?_

Struggling, she felt her body stiffen as the unknown entity had begun to probe he aura to seek entry into her soul. Her eyes widened and she demanded her body move, but she couldn't control herself any longer. Her eyes dilated as she felt a cold touch crack through her defenses, her entire body going rigid as it slowly began to seep in and penetrate her core.

 _"I love..."_

. . .

Fushimi's eyes narrowed as he took a step back away from Kaori's still form, watching as the black aura materialized and cloaked her in a thick, dense shield.

Having agreed to sit and watch her while the others went to run an errand for Tenkei, Fushimi agreed to watch the still Queen and waited for this her so-called "transformation". He wanted to see it with his own eyes, what it was that had them all so worrisome but also intrigued. Yukari believe they still had time before she would show any signs of life, but he was wrong.

They hadn't realized it would happen so soon.

Slowly, Fushimi rose to his feet and began approaching her. The aura was still thick, cackling around her like black fire and lightning that threatened all those around her. If he'd gotten any closer, he wondered if the black prowess would attack like it had a mind of its own.

"It would seem the time has come for all of our theories to now be put to the test," Nagare's voice spoke from behind Fushimi, "I would not get too close to her, Saruhiko."

Fushimi scowled and backed away, his eyes landing on Kaori's once blank ones that had been closed for some time now open wide to match the shocked expression on her face.

"She's–" Fushimi took another step back from her, feeling for the first time he'd known her a wave of fear crash over his body as she slowly sat up.

Nagare and Tenkei stood by the door, watching with anticipation as she looked around the room to gather her surroundings completely oblivious to those who were watching her.

"Kaori..." Fushimi breathed out, his body locked in place as she turned to look at him with void, expressionless eyes.

"You know my name?" Her voice was light, hesitant but strained as if she were trying to assess the situation, "Who are you?"

Fushimi frowned, having expected something like this to happen, "Saruhiko Fushimi," He hesitated for a moment but figured with the information he was about to give her, it may jump start her memory to some extent, "I was a part of the Red clan before. You and your husband took Misaki Yata and me in and treated us like family, even going as far as to calling us your sons."

"My..." Her brows furrowed in confusion, "I don't have any offspring or a husband, do I?"

Before Fushimi could reason with her, Nagare spoke, "How do you feel, Kaori?"

"I feel..." She looked over to the two Kings, "I..."

They watched as she brought both of her hands up and held them in front of her, suddenly interested in them as she inspected them closely. When she was met with minor scars from what looked like burns, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"How do you all know my name?"

Tenkei tensed when her tone became cold, "You're a Queen, Kaori. Everyone in the supernatural world of Kings and clansmen know your name."

" _Queen_?" She looked at him sharply, "I'm no Queen."

In that moment, even Nagare felt a chill run down his spine at the expression in her eyes.

She slowly swung her legs over the side of the table she'd been laying on and allowed herself to slide off the side as she tested her footing. As if she were walking for the first time in years, she tested each foot to see if it would support her before letting her full weight off the table. Satisfied, she began walking forward towards the door.

"You're not going anywhere," Nagare stared her down.

Kaori stopped and looked at him, "You'll stop me?"

 **\- x -**

"Captain!" Awashima rushed into the office without announcing herself beforehand, her eyes landing on a very intimate scene as Munakata held Eri close to his chest with a content smile but she brushed it off, "Pardon the intrusion, but it's started."

Eri frowned as she looked up at Munakata, "You're going after her, aren't you?"

Munakata looked down at Eri silently, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead gently before releasing her to go and retrieve his saber.

. . .

"There's no doubt about it," Blake bit the fleshy part of the tip of her thumb, "She's awake."

Shiro nodded, "The Usagi confirmed that the explosion just a few moments ago was her and that she's currently engaged in battle with Nagare."

"Let's go," She stood up, "I want to get there before the rest of them do."

. . .

"Mikoto!" Tatara raced out of the bar after him, followed closely by all the other Red clansmen, "Stop! Think about what you're doing!"

The Red King felt her again.

It was a small, immediate flutter in his aura but it was there and was enough to instantly grab his attention.

Kusanagi grunted, following closely after his King, "Damn it, we won't get anywhere with him there like this."

. . .

Nagare smirked, now standing before Kaori in his released state as she stared him down.

She narrowed her eyes at him, allowing a mass of black energy to collect in her palms, "I see. You have a limited amount of time in this form," She took a step forward to prepare herself for the attack, "You think that will be enough time to take me down?"

"It will be more than enough time to thank you for destroying my underground base," His voice was light, almost cheery and mocking, "Even like this, you are still no match for me."

She watched him, her eyes adjusting to his movements to the point where he was almost moving in slow motion. Hit for hit and block for block, she matched him to perfection even as he aimed for her blind spots. It began to infuriate the usually calm Green King, not being able to land a blow on her that could set this little match towards his favor.

"Nagare, they're here!"

Nagare and Kaori shot backwards from each other and looked around, seeing all of the allied clans standing there watching the two in the giant crater that had been caused by the collision of their powers.

"Kaori..." Kyra stared wide eyed, "What the hell did they do to you?"

There she stood, engulfed in black flames with void eyes taking in each and every one of their spectators. At that moment, she didn't even look human.

Taking the opportunity to attack, Nagare shot forward to land a hit on her. His eyes narrowed as she lifted her hand up, her eyes still on the people surrounding them as a burst of raw energy released, slamming into him with such force that sent him flying back a few hundred meters away from her.

Her eyes continued to scan the faces, wondering why some of them had worried, sad expressions on their faces when her eyes landed on one in particular. Her hollow chocolate orbs were met with fierce amber ones that seemed to stare right into her soul.

Mikoto couldn't help but stare down at her, his eyes blinking as if she were an illusion that would disappear in a second.

From the side, Blake and Shiro watched the Red King intensely as he took a step forward. They couldn't help but feel their hearts shattering at the expression leaking from Mikoto's eyes and onto his face.

"Kaori," Mikoto whispered, his voice raw with grief, "You don't know who we are do you?"

They watched as she turned to face him fully, her brow rose and her face twisted in bewilderment, "How do you all know my name?"

Her words not only effected the Red clan as a whole, but Blake and Shiro as well.

Munakata narrowed his eyes down at her, noticing the black aura surrounding her fists has begun to dissipate, "We are your comrades that have been searching for you and your son."

"My son?" She frowned, "You're the second person to tell me that I have a child."

From beside Munakata, Eri felt her heart stop. Before she could stop herself, she let her eyes wander over to the Red King, immediately regretting her decision.

The look he was wearing at the moment could have made even the most heartless of individuals cry for him.

"Who are all of you?" Kaori looked at everyone, "Are you all enemies?"

Kyra stepped forward but was caught by Tatara before she could get too far, "We're your family, Kaori," The tears were running down her face in waves and her voice was choked with a sob, "You are our Red Queen and like a mother to all of us."

"I'm not Queen," She paid passively, "I'm–"

They watched as she froze before her hands shot up to her head. A painful cry escaped her lips as her fingertips dug through her brown tresses to better grip her skull, trying desperately to numb the pain.

"Mikoto!"

"Suoh, stop!" Munakata raced forward as Mikoto made his way to the edge of the crater to go to his wife, "You don't know what will happen if you go down there."

Blake and Shiro joined him quickly, having managed to get between him and Kaori, "Mikoto, you have to stay back so we can–"

"No," Mikoto shoved passed both the first and second Kings, "If it comes to that, I'll handle of it myself."

Blake felt a chill run down her spine at his tone. The very thought of how he must be feeling with all of this and the internal conflict raging inside of him shook her to the very core.

"Stay out of this," Mikoto said coldly as he stood at the edge of the crater, "All of you."

Without sparing them a glance, he made his way down towards Kaori. She had fallen to her knees and was still holding her head with painful gasps escaping her lips. He could see wet spots underneath where her face was hovering, feeling his fingers twitch in desire to brush her tears away.

"Kaori," He stopped several feet away from her and was watching her every move, "Look at me."

Slowly, she looked up at him through long lashes and brown locks that had fallen in front of her face, her eyes still cold and empty and face still twisted in pain.

"You," She hissed out as another jolt of pain stabbed at her mind, "It was you that I heard."

Mikoto felt his heart breaking as he watched her body begin to tremble in pain. With another choked sob he felt his restraint beginning to melt away, wanting nothing more than to scoop Kaori up into his arms and hold her close to him until this all faded away into nothing.

She was crying hard now, gasping for breath as she muttered incoherent words to herself that Mikoto couldn't quite catch.

"I don't know who I am anymore," Kaori choked out, her body beginning to teeter back and forth as she simply just cried, "What's happening to me?!"

Mikoto slowly approached to avoid startling her, dropping down on one knee so he could attack of defend if need be, "Kaori, look at me," His voice was shockingly gentle and almost a whisper, but it got her attention, "You need to tell me what it is you want me to do, baby."

 _"I hate it when you call me baby, Mikoto. Only weirdos call their women, baby."_

With an expression of sadness that matched his own, she searched his eyes for a moment before her head began to throb again.

 _"Do you think I care if you call me weird? I love you, and that's all that should could instead of a little word of endearment. Besides, I only call you that when I want to get your attention."_

"I–" She grunted loudly, holding a particular spot on her head where she'd just received another painful jolt, "I love..."

Everyone stared with bated breaths as she struggled against herself, reaching a shaky hand up slowly towards his face.

Mikoto froze as the tips of her fingers connected with his jaw, instantly having to fight the urge to grab her and crush her against his chest. Even his nerve endings burned with the overdue touch of his lover, wanting to feel more than just her fingertips. He wanted to feel all of her again.

Kaori's eyes narrowed as she processed everything, her attention on the spot where her fingers were touching his face. Slowly, she let her fingers drag delicately up the curve of his jaw and placed her entire palm on his cheek, cupping his face and letting curiosity convey the actions of that amazing feeling of his flesh against her own.

Upon contact, several images flashed through her mind as a wave of heat ran down her spine.

She saw his face above her own, amber eyes swimming in deep pools of lust and his cheeks slightly flushed from their activity. She could practically feel the tickling sensations of his body grinding against her own in that moment, leaving her entire body aching with a confusing yearning sensation.

Next she saw him lying there with her, his eyes locked onto her with such an affectionate expression it would have brought her to her knees had she not been on them already. She could see the two of them curled around two small infants wrapped up in their blankets, each with red hair and pale skin.

 _"They're beautiful."_

 _"Of course they are. They have your hair, so how could they not be beautiful?"_

 _"What does hair have to do with it?"_

 _"It has everything to do with it, silly!"_

Mikoto watched her closely, reaching up to place his hand over her own to keep her there. He watched the different emotions passing through her eyes and felt as though he was finally reaching her, "Kaori?"

 _"Mikoto!"_

 _"Oh stop it, you big goof!"_

 _"Mikoto! Watch out!"_

 _"Ahh~ Mikoto–"_

 _"You just keep getting better and better, don't you?"_

 _"I love you, Mikoto."_

 _"I love you. I... Love you, Mikoto."_

Kaori snapped out of her trance, her eyes meeting his and for a brief moment in time, it seemed like everything around them froze.

"You're," She struggled against her inner self, almost having trouble to get the words out, "I love you?"

Despite the fact it came out as more of a question, Mikoto didn't care it this point and nodded with a small smile, "You do. You are my wife and my clans Queen, Kaori."

Slowly, he brought his hand up to caress her cheek gently with the backs of his fingers before allowing himself to open his hand and cradle her face. He watched her confused expression still remain in place, but noticed that she began to visibly relax at his touch.

"This is all very touching, but we're not finished yet."

Mikoto's eyes flashed behind her form to see the Green King closing in on them and before he could react Nagare had aimed his attack towards Kaori, successfully hitting her and causing her to go blank again.

Nagare smirked as Mikoto stood up, the red aura wafting off his body in waves, "So you decided to finally show your face in front of me?"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Red King Mikoto Suoh," Nagare watched him, amused at the fact he was ready to attack a man whom he could never defeat, "My apologies for holding your wife and child as hostages for so long, but I assure you it was for the greater good."

Mikoto stared him down, his eyes burning into a bright red as his hands were set ablaze with angry red and fuchsia flames. He stepped around Kaori's body and got between her and Nagare, his eyes narrowed as he prepared to attack the Green King.

"I wouldn't turn my back on her if I were you," Nagare taunted, "She's still unpredictable at best in this stage."

Without looking back, Mikoto felt her body rise up from the ground as felt his spine stiffen. It wasn't the confused, cold aura anymore seeking stability by trying to reach out to his warm red aura. This time, it was dark and had intent.

When he finally looked back to meet her eyes, it happened.

* * *

 **Muhahahaha! Cliffy in a really pivotal spot! And just when things were going so smooth, too. You can blame Nagare for stirring the pot, since Mikoto had Kaori just about convinced that she was okay to go with them. ;(**

 **Aren't you all happy I didn't kill her off, though? Well... Possibly yet? LOOL**

 **HAVE FAITH IN YOUR DARLING WRITER! ;D**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	8. CH VII - DISBELIEF

**I know, I know, I just got done tossing you that lovely update and now this. ;)**

 **Reviews will be in the next update, lovelies~ :D**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 7**

 **Disbelief**

* * *

It happened so fast no one understood what had really gone down.

As Nagare attacked Kaori, she took enough damage that awakened an inner current of rage. It set her off, creating not only a very volatile situation that no one had really been anticipating (to that extent) but almost every soul there was effected by what they saw.

She created a shock wave that sent everyone flying as she swung her arm forward towards Nagare. Even Mikoto, who braced himself for an attack, was sent flying back and hit the lip of the crater. Munakata, Blake and Shiro tried to use their aura's to create shields around all of their people, but it wasn't enough. As Nagare charged forward to attack her once more, it became clear that what was inside her not only wreaked of malice, but could temporarily disarm the powers of a King by freezing their connection to the Dresden slate.

Had Tenkei not been present to jump in and take a blow meant to kill Nagare, the Green King would have been brought down to his knees and had the power keeping his body alive ripped right out of him. Sukuna, who had arrived shortly after escaping the debris from the explosion caused by Kaori and Nagare earlier, barely had enough in him to keep the woman distracted long enough for the Gray King to retrieve his younger companion to bring him to safety.

When Mikoto had regained himself after having sustained a serious blow to the head upon impact of the ground, he looked around to see if Kaori was still anywhere in the area.

She was gone.

 **\- x -**

"How the HELL did we not know she was capable of this?!"

Blake paced with her arms crossed, "I don't know but things just got seriously bad. Shiro and I went all over any and all possibilities but we never imagined that armed with this black aura, that she could temporarily disable someone's powers."

"And a King's at that," Shiro frowned, "We need to think of something fast before she gets it in her head that we're all a threat and starts to pick us off one by one."

Munakata looked at both the first and second Kings, "You know what needs to be done."

"We're saving that as a last resort, Munakata," Blake looked at the Blue King, "I won't allow anyone to go ahead and kill her before we figure out a better solution or if there really is no other option."

Anna, who had been sitting silently through the entire chain of events, narrowed her crimson orbs down at the red marbles circulating around a map in front of her.

She had been determined to find Kaori now that she had become a danger to herself and those around her, having seen a disturbing vision of her covered in blood with a twisted expression on her face. Only, it wasn't her blood or just any other persons.

It was Mikoto's.

. . .

"So we have to sit here and wait again?!" Yata glared angrily, "Damn it, why don't we just go after her!"

Shiro looked over to Yata and gave him a small, sympathetic smile, "I know how you must be feeling right now. Believe me, I do, but the best thing we can do at the moment is to leave her on her own for now. If what we saw is her true power now, we can't afford to rush after her with the risk of us all getting killed before we even get a chance to defend ourselves."

"We're going to research more into this matter and go over any and all information regarding the slates in my uncles notes, as well as Claudia Weissman's own personal records," Blake sighed and looked at everyone to address them as a whole, "Until then, _no one_ is to go after her. I will personally deal with anyone who tries to defy my order, and believe me when I say that I am a lot less merciful than I appear. Do I make myself clear?"

The majority of the Red clan and the Blue clan began to protest but were silenced instantly with one look from the Gold King.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I don't want any more casualties piling up on top of what there is already. Besides, we don't want any of us getting..." Her eyes flashed to a distant looking Red King, " _Distracted_ from what has to be done."

"With all due respect," Kusanagi stepped forward and blocked Mikoto from everyone's view, "You let us handle our King. We'll keep him from getting into trouble."

Blake nodded and smiled small, "Sounds good with me. You guys have the means to keep Mikoto's mind at ease, so I'm not worried," Her eyes flashed to the Blue King and met his azure ones, "Reisi, if I catch any sign of your men tracking Kaori by any means whether on foot or using your system, your ass is mine."

Munakata gave her an arrogant smile, "As if I would be foolish enough to disobey the Gold King."

Blake eyed him for a moment before looking to Reina and Yata, "Do you know where Keirsten lives?"

"Yeah," Reina nodded, "We were going to go there after this meeting to see if she's alright. Last time I spoke to her it was almost as if she were rushing to get me off the phone."

Blake frowned, "Get her and either bring her here or keep her with you at HOMRA. She may not possess powers, but she's still connected to Fushimi and therefore is a potential target."

"Mm," Shiro crossed his arms, "We all need to lay low and keep safe until this is all over."

"As in you kill my wife?"

"No," Shiro looked at Mikoto, "We're going to avoid that at all cost. If there is any other way around that, we'll find it and try it before we resort to killing her."

Mikoto's eyes were growing weary and showing his tiredness. He had become quiet and almost lifeless after finally reaching Kaori, only to have her torn from his grasp once again. There was also something dangerous seeping into his amber orbs; something terrifying that was slowly taking control.

Mikoto Suoh was reaching his breaking point and no one would be able to stop him. Since he was still bonded with Kaori, her ability to amplify his power was still going strong. Even now that she had been consumed by that black power inside of her, he could still feel her red aura trying to break its way through. It worried everyone knowing that at that moment, Mikoto was the strongest of all the Kings and would most likely pose a threat should he be faced with Kaori in her current state.

When he snapped, it would be catastrophic.

"Like I said," His voice was sharp but strained, "If it comes to that," His eyes landed on Blake and Shiro, causing both of them to shiver at the cold glare he was now giving them, "I'll be the one to kill her myself, not any of you."

 **\- x -**

"Where exactly are we going?" Fushimi asked with suspicion, "I would have thought with all of those who are currently chasing after you that you would have left town or at least gone into hiding by now?"

Kaori shook her head with a frown, "The Dresden slate won't allow me to leave."

"Why bring me along with you then?" Fushimi's brow rose.

"You knew who I was when I first woke up," Kaori looked back at him, "That, and there was something in the way your eyes called out to me that compelled me to bring you along."

Fushimi clicked his tongue out of habit, "I see."

"The two Green clansmen Yukari and Sukuna tried to stop you, no?"

"They caught up to me when I reached the main level not far off from where you met me, but they never pursued me," Fushimi pocketed his hands.

"Nagare must have told them to leave you be so that you could follow me to see what I would do," Kaori mused, "Damn fool."

"What about your son?"

She frowned, "Ah yes, my child fathered by the Red King," She paused for a moment before looking up at him, "Can you find him?"

"I know exactly where he is," Fushimi met her eyes, "However, I myself can't get in."

"I can temporarily sync my aura to yours and gift you power to get my son," The two stopped walking and fully faced each other.

His brow rose, "Only a King can do that."

"Then it's a good thing that I am both a King and a Queen," She smirked.

. . .

Fushimi had managed to slip through the Green clan's security as well as fool the three guards standing by to let him into the testing room Kaen Suoh was currently being held in. With the help of Kaori's power, he made quick work of collecting the child before making his escape from the area Nagare had ordered Kaen to be put into a prolonged sleep.

When Fushimi found the child, he had been in an incubation cube with an IV attached to him as well as an air funnel strapped loosely around his head. There were no regular heart monitors usually used for patients attached to him or anything that would signal he was alive other than the obvious rise and fall of his chest.

"All of this for Suoh's brat?" Fushimi muttered, looking down at the child now held firmly to his chest.

"Out of all the people I could have found tonight, it had to be you."

Fushimi froze and looked over his shoulder slowly, going slightly wide eyed when he saw the Red King standing behind him currently staring him down. His hands were shoved deep into his jacket pockets and his posture was slack compared to the other times Fushimi had encountered him.

"Saruhiko," Mikoto's eyes bore into his own and made the younger male grit his teeth, his amber orbs flashing to the bundle currently being shielded from view in his arms, "I think it's time we had a little talk."

. . .

"What do you mean Mikoto is gone?!" Kusanagi yelled into his phone as he rubbed his temple with his free hand, "Damn it, why does no one ever listen?"

Akira rubbed his lower back gently, "It'll be okay, Izumo. Maybe he just needed some time to himself?"

She frowned as he walked across the room and set his phone down beside the keys to his apartment and his wallet, "This whole situation is going to be the death of me if we don't find a solution soon."

"You're worrying too much," Akira walked over and began unbuttoning his shirt, "We need to try and be positive, Izumo. We know she's alive and we know she's more than capable of defending herself."

"It's not her I'm worried about right now," Kusanagi sighed as he looked down at her, meeting her worried eye, "You're right."

"Exactly, so get those pants off and let's crawl into bed. I'll give you a back message," Akira smiled softly.

Without a word, Kusanagi shed the rest of his clothing before allowing her to lead him to the bed. When he laid down on his stomach, she crawled up and straddled his lower hips after grabbing some calming eucalyptus oil and squeezed a few drops onto his back before rubbing some onto her hands.

"Think your bar will be able to withstand Kaori and Mikoto when things go back to normal?"

Kusanagi sighed in pleasure as her hands worked magic on his tense shoulders, "All I have to say is that any damage done, they'll be fixing it themselves by hand."

"How ruthless," Akira giggled, "It will be nice to see a smile on their faces again. That, and to have the happy atmosphere back at HOMRA."

He nodded and smiled, "It's definitely not the same without her around to keep everyone in line, is it?"

Akira hummed in agreement.

. . .

"Keirsten!" Reina knocked several times on the door as she and Yata waited for any indication that the girl was inside, "Damn it, where the hell could she be if she's not here?"

Yata frowned, "Let's just go. Maybe she's still at work?"

Suddenly, the lock clicked and the door flew open to reveal a very worried Keirsten.

"Reina!" She shot forward and grabbed the girl into a bone crushing hug, "Thank God it's you guys!"

Yata's expression went dark, "People have been coming around here?"

"A few of Scepter 4's men came around a few days ago but there's been a lot of these people in green helmets floating around recently, so I haven't even gone to work. I've been staying inside the entire time," Keirsten bit her bottom lip, "Have you guys heard from Saru?"

"No, we were actually hoping that you had been in contact with him," Yata sighed, "He's left Scepter 4 and is currently working with the Green's, although he disappeared as of recently."

"What?!" Her eyes went wide.

Reina frowned, "Come on, let's get inside. We need to get you a bag packed and ready to go because right now you have to stay with us."

"It's bad, isn't it?" She let Reina lead her inside and looked as Yata closed and locked the door.

"It's bad," Yata looked at her, "Really bad. We'll explain on the way to HOMRA."

 **\- x -**

"Here," Fushimi turned fully to Mikoto and held out a sleeping Kaen, "I was bringing him to Kaori, but I'm not foolish enough to know I could get away from you the way you are right now."

Mikoto crossed the distance and accepted Kaen from Fushimi, gently cradling him to his chest, "What did they do to him?"

"I don't know, but when I found him he was hooked to an IV and was asleep," Fushimi pocketed his hands, "The chart said that he's been asleep for over forty-eight hours now."

The Red King looked down at his child before looking back at Fushimi, "You've caused quite a mess."

"I know," Fushimi said without hesitation, "To be honest, this new world Nagare spoke of interested me."

"He also gave you an offer you couldn't refuse, didn't he?" Mikoto narrowed his eyes as a smirk slowly started pulling at his lips, "You haven't changed."

Fushimi scoffed angrily, "I didn't do it because of Nagare."

"Then why?"

"Like I'd have that talk with you of all people," Fushimi narrowed his eyes, "You're the reason why I'm branded a traitor in the first place."

Mikoto's brow rose, "Is that so?"

"It is," Fushimi never broke the stare down they were currently having, "Did you enjoy seeing your wife again?"

Mikoto's lips pulled into a tight line, "That's not my wife."

"Shame. I think you'd break her heart if she heard you say that," Fushimi taunted, "She remembers everything, you know."

"I take it she told you this?" Mikoto's brow rose, "That thing inside of her isn't Kaori, I can assure you."

"And how is it that you're so certain of this?"

Mikoto looked down at Kaen for a moment before looking at Fushimi once again, "You wouldn't understand even if I told you, Saruhiko."

Fushimi's tongue clicked, "Let me guess. It's the power of love shared between you and your precious Red Queen?"

"Actually no," Mikoto chuckled at Fushimi's mocking tone and smirked, "It's the difference between you and me as individuals."

Onyx eyes narrowed at the Red King, "You have no grounds to compare me to you in any situation."

"As a matter of fact, I do," Mikoto's eyes suddenly got hard and his expression serious, "I've maintained all of my bonds with each and every member of my clan throughout the years and know when I am in the wrong. I deal with my problems head on rather than running away because my feelings got hurt. You're still a child, Saruhiko and you all always will be."

Fushimi gave him a dangerous look, "You know nothing about me, Suoh."

"I know you well enough to know the reason why you left is because you thought you were replaced," Mikoto watched him stiffen, "You've used me as your excuse as to why you went and joined the Blue clan rather than watching your friend become something more than a high school drop out."

"Oh yes," Fushimi snarled, "Some dumb punk who fights all day as a job? That's advancing in the world at its finest."

"He became a member of a family, something you wanted from the beginning but didn't have the balls to reach out and take when the opportunity presented itself."

Fushimi stared at Mikoto in shock, "You..."

"I may not be as into this whole King business as Munakata, but I'm still observant," Mikoto shifted his hold on his son, "I saw a lot of potential in you, much like Kusanagi did."

Fushimi bristled, "If you think you're going to guilt me into apologizing, it's not going to happen."

"No," Mikoto looked at him, "I'm going to give you a life lesson, so shut the fuck up and take it like a man."

 **\- x -**

"We've over these notes a dozen times, Shiro," Blake moaned, leaning back in her chair to stretch and flung her arm over her eyes, "There's nothing about a black aura or anything that could relate to it anywhere in my uncles notes or your sisters!"

Shiro frowned and nodded, "I know, but we did manage to figure a way out of this whole mess."

"You really think that's the best possible way to go about this?"

The Silver King frowned and nodded, "If we destroy the slates, everything will be undone. We'll all lose our status and powers as Kings and clansmen, but we have no other option. It's either that, or kill Kaori and watch Mikoto let loose. We can't force his aura out of his body, so he would have to willingly give up the rights to being a King."

"And that's not happening anytime soon," Blake sighed, "Mikoto's as stubborn as they come."

Shiro looked at her, "So that leaves us with only one option left."

"Yeah," She frowned, remaining quiet for a moment before looking at him, "What about all of your life's work?"

"This isn't what I had in mind when my sister and I began our research," Shiro sighed and sat back in his chair with his arms crossed and a small smile on his face, "It's meaningless when all of this turns out to cause others pain."

Blake smiled and stroked his cheek gently, "You're so selfless, Adolf K. Weissman."

"It's the only way I can protect everyone," Shiro closed his eyes and enjoyed her touch.

She shifted in her seat and leaned closer to him, "You know, with all of this drama going on, we never really got to take some personal time together. It will be nice when this is all over so we can get back to being a couple rather than conspiracy partners against an evil power."

"Should we be selfish for this one night?" Shiro looked at her and took her hand, "We've been so wrapped up with this whole ordeal with the Red clan that we haven't had a chance to really enjoy all of our time together."

Blake smiled small and ran her fingers through his silver locks, "It's all for good reason, though."

Shiro pushed his chair back and stood up slowly with his arms stretching above his head, "Maybe for the rest of this evening, we'll enjoy ourselves."

"Well, this may be the last time we get to," Blake agreed and followed his lead, standing up and smiling at him.

Shiro smiled back and reached for her, gently pulling her into his arms and held her against his chest as he rest his chin on top of her head, "I wish you wouldn't say things like that," She rubbed her back in a soothing motion and felt her entire body relax against him, "We're going to get through this. All of us, Kaori and Mikoto included."

"I hope so," Blake sighed against him, "But let's not think about that right now," She looked up at Shiro as he smiled and nodded before leaning down to gently press his lips against hers.

 **\- x -**

 _"Hey Kaori, do you remember the first time you ever had sex?"_

 _Kaori gave a very questioning looking to Reina, Meira and Kyra as they sat close to her. Each one of them had sly smirks on their faces and knowing looks in their eyes._

 _"Uh, yes... Quite vividly, too. Why?" Kaori's brow rose._

 _Reina smirked, "Want to spill the deets? It's what we ladies do, isn't it?"_

 _"Yeah! And we're all girls here," Kyra winked, "Kusanagi went out to go get some more supplies for his bar, so it's just us. Come onnnnn!"_

 _Kaori stared at the three silently for a moment before sighing, "My first time, eh? Well, you guys might not be surprised by this, but Mikoto was my first and I was his."_

 _"Aww, a duel deflowering," Reina giggled._

 _"I suppose," Kaori giggled and sat back, "It was close to the end of the school year and on that day there was an assembly, so he decided to pull me off the school grounds and we headed to his place. Now keep in mind, I followed him with the impression that we were going to talk and plus I'd never been in his apartment before," She paused and smirked, "At first it started off as the two of us enjoying one of his many soda beverages and then he just got up and kissed me, although it was the first time he'd ever actually kissed me_ like that _."_

 _"Aww!" Meira was grinning from ear-to-ear, "So he was romantic about it?"_

 _"Fuck no. No romance in anything he'd done in the early stages of our relationship," Kaori giggled and shook her head, "He had me pinned down on the floor underneath him and we were just awkwardly staring at one another asking each other if the dirty stuff was going to happen. At first I think he had it planned out in his head just to make out with me, but to this day he categorically denies ever having intentions of having sex with me that day. Says he was just being a gentleman, but I know it worked out in his favor."_

 _Kyra rolled her eyes, "Typical male."_

 _"So Mikoto was really your one and only partner?" Reina smiled, "That's amazing considering you two are now married and expecting children."_

 _Kaori nodded with a proud smile, "Yep! Mikoto was my first and will be my last!"_

 _"You're lucky," Kyra pouted, "I wish Tatara had of been my first for everything. The guy I was with before him was lousy and only ever thought of himself. Tatara is much more appreciative to the things I do for him and makes sure I'm satisfied before he is most times."_

 _"Well, I'm lucky Tatara didn't walk away from the opportunity to have you, Kyra," Kaori smiled softly at her, "But that's the same reason why I'm happy with Mikoto. He caters to my needs more than his own, although I think it's safe to say we're about equal now."_

 _"Damn right, you're bot about equal. At the rate you two go at it, I'm sure whoever came next would be a disappointment," Akira grinned as she walked over to join the conversation, "Izumo said that one night that pervy Chitose and Dewa counted."_

 _Without any shame or even a hint of embarrassment on her face, Kaori puffed her chest out with a smirk, "Nine times that night. I know this because Mikoto finally got tired of Chitose catcalling us from the other room and kicked both their asses out of the bar after a while. I don't know whether to say I'm lucky Mikoto bounces back incredibly fast or unlucky some nights. Usually only takes him,_ maximum _five minutes."_

 _"_ NINE TIMES _? How the hell does he recover in five fucking minutes? Yata blows and is out of commission for almost twenty minutes."_

 _"Mm, Rikio doesn't recover fast either," Meira nodded in agreement, "Fifteen, twenty minutes as well."_

 _"Lucky you guys," Akira muttered, "Kusanagi's back up and running after about five to ten minutes depending on how hard and fast we go at it, so I understand where Kaori comes from on this one."_

 _"Well Kusanagi's weird, so that makes sense," Kyra winked in Akira's direction, earning a giggle from said woman._

 _"Yeah, Mikoto's a beast, what can I say," Kaori shrugged, "If he put half as much energy into being a King as he does during sex, I think he'd give all of the other King's a run for their money. Especially Munakata. He'd be fucked."_

 _Akira blinked, "But he's so lazy around us! How's that possible?"_

 _"Not in bed, he's not," Kaori giggled._

 _"What about your first real date?" Meira smiled brightly, "Did he do something romantic then?"_

 _Kaori looked at her, "Well, romantic in his standards. He brought me to a small restaurant where we both ate staring at each other awkwardly because he didn't like the idea that this guy sitting off to the side of us kept staring at me and listening to our conversations," She giggled and shrugged, "So we ended up back at his place at the end of it all, and that's when he gave me this gorgeous blood red orchid."_

 _"Aww!" Meira gushed, "How beautiful!"_

 _Kyra smiled, "Why an orchid? Don't most guys give girls roses?"_

 _"I hate roses so when we were talking and first getting to know each other, I'd mentioned orchids," Kaori smiled softly, "He remembered that from over six months ago at the time."_

 _"Wow," Akira smiled, "So then, that's about as romantic as he gets?"_

 _Kaori nodded, "I don't mind, though. He keeps me entertained and makes up for his lack of romance in other ways."_

Kaori's eyes shot open as she woke up from another memory-induced dream. She stared up at the ceiling with a frown, wondering when her visions of the past were going to cease. She didn't particularly like the aching feeling that was left to course through her body afterwards, usually causing her to grow angry or much more mentally exhausted.

Fushimi had arrived back and told her of his run-in with Mikoto, having also told her that Kaen Suoh was now in the Red clan's possession. He'd also mentioned that the Red King wanted a private audience with her, but she made no regards or indication that she would accept or decline his request.

"They're persistent," Fushimi mentioned, "They've been trying relentlessly to track one of us down ever since we broke off from Nagare and his clan."

"Let them come," Kaori looked at him with her frown still in place, "I have words for the Gold King, anyway."

"Why not call her out?" Fushimi asked with a quirked brow, "I know for a fact she'd jump on the opportunity to speak with you if you made your intentions known."

"I want to eliminate them according to rank and threat," Kaori explained, "Now that Nagare knows he is no match for me, he won't jump in recklessly to challenge me. So that leaves Blake Tadashi as my only other obstacle."

Fushimi watched her closely, "The Red King is reaching a point where he may cause you a problem."

"I'm aware," She smiled and eerie smile, "I'm connected to him, remember? I know his power is still amplified by my own inner sanctum, so I will save him for last."

"Why kill all of the seven Kings?"

Kaori's face suddenly twisted into an evil smirk that Fushimi narrowed his eyes at, "You'll see."

 **\- x -**

"Where in the hell did you go last night?!" Kusanagi hollered as Mikoto entered the bar.

Several of HOMRA's members stared as Mikoto walked towards the middle of the room with his jacket off and wrapped around something held snuggly in his arms. At closer inspection, they could all faintly see a sea of red hidden underneath the black leather blanket shielding the rest from view.

"You found him?!" Kyra rushed forward, followed closely by Tatara and Reina, "Did you go and hunt down the Green's?"

Mikoto held Kaen close to his chest and looked down at his child, "Not exactly. When I went for a walk to clear my mind, I ended up running into Saruhiko. That prick had him and was taking him to Kaori."

"What?!" Yata jumped up, his fingers curling into fists.

"He handed Kaen over to me without a fight," Mikoto allowed Kyra to take his son from his arms and watched closely, "They did something to him," He growled, "They put him to sleep but Saruhiko couldn't tell me why."

Kusanagi walked over with his phone in his hand, "I just told Blake the situation and she asked if you would bring him there. She said she'll have one of her personal physicians look at him."

"I don't have much of a choice, now do I?" Mikoto scowled.

. . .

"Well, I have some good news and some bad news," Blake walked into the room the entire Red clan was currently occupying, "The drug they administered to Kaen will wear off in just a few more hours, so the IV Fushimi told you about must have been a constant supply of the stuff. We don't have a name of what it was yet, but whatever the drug was, it was a potent cocktail that one of the doctors must have made themselves," She smiled small and looked at Mikoto, "When your little fella wakes up, I'm sure he'll be starving so we're keeping him until he's awake and has eaten and has had something to drink."

Mikoto nodded but his eyes were still hard on her even as several of his clansmen chuckled at Blake's comment, "What else?"

She suddenly frowned, "Don't be mad, okay?" Leaning back against the door frame, she crossed her arms under her bust and inhaled deeply, "After Kaen and Alani were born, Kaori brought them to me for a visit and asked me to have my head physician do blood work on her. She was worried about anything the normal doctors may have missed, so I agreed to it so it would put her mind at ease. We also took a small sample of his blood just a little while ago when you brought him in, and it turns out he and Kaori share an identical genetic makeup."

"So there's a chance Kaen could lose himself, too?" Akira sat back as her jaw went slack, "But he's–"

"–just a baby? I know," Blake sighed softly, "Since the Colorless King has disappeared, this is the first _real_ threat to all of us, and I'm not entirely sure what to do."

"I thought he was dead?"

Blake shook her head, "Somehow while Shiro had him contained inside himself so Munakata could kill him, that bastard managed to escape and we don't know where he is."

Yata growled, "Great, just what we need. The body-jumping psychopath on the loose while we're trying to get mum back."

"No kidding," The Gold King looked at them all, "Not only do we have a weapon fashioned by the slates that may try to kill us all, but that tricky bastard is probably aware of what's going on and is in hiding."

"Wait, hold on a second," Kusanagi frowned, "A weapon created by the slates?"

Blake looked at the bartender before addressing everyone, "Last night, Shiro and I went over every single detail we could in order to find some reasonable explanation for why this happened to Kaori. We ended up digging into a pile of untitled records left by one of the researchers working with Shiro and his sister at the time, and found that he'd hypothesized a drawback to the slates."

"So then, this is the drawback he wrote about? Kaori turning into _that_ is some sort of punishment for drawing too much power from the slates?"

"Maybe not a punishment, per say," Blake thought for a moment to piece together he words, "But a warning, perhaps. Since this whole ordeal began, we've been drawing almost too much power from the slates."

"But that doesn't make sense?" Yata asked angrily, "Why now?"

"We have to keep an open mind," Blake said, "So, once Kaen is awake and he's been cleared for good health, we may be able to use him to draw Kaori out. Shiro thinks he's found a way to incapacitate her so we can get her into a containment unit."

Tatara frowned, "But–"

"No buts," Blake shook her head, "We have no choice. In order to study and learn how to fight against what she's become or whatever it is that's borrowing her body, we need her here in order to know what exactly we're dealing with and how to destroy it."

Tatara held Kyra to his chest after noticing her shoulders beginning to shake gently, while Kusanagi rubbed Akira's arm gently as his eyes slowly made their way to Mikoto.

"So," Kusanagi frowned, "How do you propose we trap a woman capable of neutralizing our powers?"

. . .

"Understood," Awashima cut the all and frowned as she looked at the phone in her hand, "This won't end well."

"What won't?" Hana asked as she and Akiyama walked up to her, both still in their casual outfits after returning from their day out of Scepter 4, "Seri?"

Awashima turned to face them fully and looked at Hana, "We're to hunt down Kaori and bring her to Miharashi Tower on orders of the Gold King."

"So it's time, then?" Hana frowned.

"Unfortunately," Awashima nodded slowly, "Akiyama, please prepare for battle and gather the others. We're going to be going after the Red Queen, so we will be treating this as if we are fighting a King."

Akiyama stiffened up, "Sir!"

Awashima motioned for Hana to follow her and made her way to Munakata's office. When they arrived, he sat behind his desk with a phone in his hand and a very monotonous expression on his face.

"This will be harder than I'd originally thought," Munakata said more to himself than his two lieutenants as he set the phone down on its base, "Miss Awashima, you've also received the Gold King's orders and are aware of the situation?"

She nodded, "We are to detain Kaori Suoh at all cost and to bring her to Miharashi Tower, alive."

"Very good," He stood up and made his way over to the special holding unit that his sabre, Sirius, currently rested on, "It would see the Red clan will also be joining us on this mission."

Hana watched the Blue King, "Shall we group with our allies before discussing strategy?"

"That won't be necessary," Munakata fastened his sabre to his belt and turned to the two women, "We are to all follow the same orders, although at this point Blake is allowing us to use any means needed to bring the Red Queen down."

"Will Mikoto Suoh be joining us?" Awashima asked with slight hesitation.

Munakata nodded, "He is, so let's prepare and be on guard for anything."

* * *

 **Ahhh~ Setting us all up for some action! This is my way of apologizing for the cliffy in the last chapter. ;)**

 **So a lot's going on at once! But, we can all be happy that Kaen is back in his daddy's loving arms and is going to be just fine! ... Although, his role in this isn't done just yet! ;)**

 **Next update will be out sometime this weekend, so stay tuned! :D**

 **EDIT; thank you Mrs.1DJessup for your reminder! Changed a spot in this for Kyra instead of Reina! :)**

 **Also... THE FUCKIN' FEELS GOING THROUGH MY BODY FROM EPISODE ELEVEN OF K: RETURN OF KINGS. OMFG :O**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	9. CH VIII - STOLEN

**AHHHH~ So nice to be updating again! Now that I'm feeling much better and have finished all my testing for this week, I'm a free woman! ;D**

 **Also, there's totally something I wanna gush about but for those of you who haven't seen episode eleven of Return of Kings yet, please go watch it so I don't ruin anything for you with my fan-girling LOOL BUT OMFG AKIYAMA... AND THEN FUSHIMI?! UGHHHHH THE FEELS! –dying–**

 **Anywho... LOOL**

 **Akakocat – Welcome back dearie! :D And no worries, I had a feeling you were going to be following so I'm not too worried. ;)**

 **Halloween Witch – Ahhh easy there, love! Still lots to go and you're already stressing it seems! :D Yes, a lot is happening with Kaori and it's only so soon in the story! Haha! Not saying there's fifteen more chapters, but it's no where's near finished. ;)**

 **Mrs.1DJessup – Again, thanks so much for pointing that out, darling! :D Much appreciated~**

 **MissAnimeMiss – Well, I hope I don't disappoint! So glad you're enjoying it so far! ;)**

 **Kind of a short update, but I'll make it up to you all I promise!**

 **ALSO, I didn't really get a chance to edit this but I will tomorrow :)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 8**

 **Stolen**

* * *

"So, what's the plan?" Chitose asked as he crossed his arms over his chest, none too thrilled to be standing with a few of his clansmen and several of the Blue's.

Akiyama looked at him, "The captain and your King are discussing their own personal strategy, so we wait here until further orders."

"Did I ask you?" Chitose glared, earning a grunt of warning from Kamamoto, "Sorry. I just don't see why they have to help us catch our Queen?"

"We're going to need all the help we can get, Chitose," Kamamoto reminded him, "Even with their help, we have the Silver clan and Blake helping us as well. This isn't something to get picky and choosy about, just remember that when we're facing her."

Chitose nodded slowly and muttered under his breath as Dewa smiled small beside him, understanding why he was so upset at the matter. The entire Red clan was on edge and as the time passed without any good news, things were becoming a lot more tense and dangerous.

"Guys!" Akagi ran up to the group with a positive look on his face, "We're about ready to head out. Mikoto wants us to follow the Blue's up until we reach the area where Kaori is and then hit the underground passage leading underneath that part of town. Yata and Reina have already gone ahead with several others, as well as Kusanagi."

Everyone was quick to jump into action, following the always-happy Akagi as he recited the details told to him by the Red King.

The plan was to trap Kaori and force her to try and take in more than one aura at a time as she fought against all of her opponents. Shiro hypothesized that because her ability had a time limit and was effective against Kings, that having to be forced to take on four at a time would cause her ability to backfire and give them the opportunity to catch her. It had been during her fight against Nagare that he'd watched the Green King temporarily lose his powers, but when Mikoto – who had been standing so close to her – used his own aura to block her shock wave he'd been untouched. Perhaps it had been the last shred of her humanity that stopped her from hurting the Red King, but it was still a strong deduction that all of the Kings had agreed to try.

"So we're going to try and overload her and hope that the Silver King's guess was correct?" Benzai asked as they ran with the Red clan to their destination, "That all seems a little too risky, don't you think?"

Kamamoto looked at the man, "Our King wouldn't agree to anything that would jeopardize Kaori's life, so he must have thought it was the best way."

Akagi nodded, "What the Silver King is hopping for is that when her black aura tries to consume the others to temporarily pause their powers that it will cause her to go unconscious."

"So we're aiming to knock her out?" Akiyama murmured to himself, "Does the Gold King have a backup plan in case this doesn't work?"

When he received no answer, all of their mouths pulled into a grim, tight line.

. . .

Kaori narrowed her eyes as she stood in the middle of the rendezvous point where Fushimi had concluded all of the King's would be meeting, slightly annoyed at the fact she could only feel one of the four approaching. As the individual approached, she saw a white outline that belonged to the Silver King.

"So they send the weakest of the King's to meet me first?" Kaori mused and turned to face him fully, "Is that because you think being immortal will give you an advantage?"

Shiro smiled, "Actually, I came to talk."

"Ah, so you're going to try and persuade me with words?"

He walked forward and stopped a few feet away from her, "I was hoping we'd be able to come to an understanding."

"Funny you say that," Kaori crossed her arms and smiled, "I was hoping to say the exact same thing to your beloved Gold King, Blake."

"Oh?" Shiro blinked.

Kaori nodded, "I won't discuss this with you, or any of the others. I want to speak to Blake."

"Well, what can I do for you?"

Kaori glanced passed Shiro and let her eyes settle on Blake, "So you decided to join us," Her lips pulled into a grin as she felt both the Blue and Red King's approaching from behind, "I see what this is."

"Don't make us hurt you, Kaori," Blake frowned, "If you want to talk, then we'll talk but it will be on my terms."

Grinning, Kaori let her arms fall down to her sides, "That's not part of the negotiations."

"Then I suppose we have no choice but take you by force," Blake walked forward, "You may be able to absorb auras, but can you handle all four of us at once?"

Kaori's eyes narrowed slightly as she glanced back at Munakata, having heard his unsheathing his blade as well as Mikoto cracking his knuckles. She felt an involuntary shudder run up her back at that, having a vivid flash of one of the many hot, erotic moments shared before all of this happening.

"So it seems you're past the point where you see me as a wife," Kaori looked over her shoulder to Mikoto, "That breaks my heart."

Mikoto's eyes narrowed ever so slightly and his lips pulled into a small grin, "You know damn well that I'm aware there's two of you in there right now, so don't try and fuck with me when you know I'm aware Kaori's not awake at the moment."

Kaori smirked suddenly, "You're right, I won't try and bluff," She giggled and quickly pivoted on her heel so she could charge for Mikoto, "How about I reunite you two in hell?!"

Before she could get close to Mikoto, Munakata intercepted and sent her flying back with a slash of his sabre. While still in the air, they watched as the blue aura coating his blade pulled away and followed her. Blake smirked, suddenly throwing her fist back before sending a huge wave of gold energy striking forward towards her.

"Now, Mikoto!"

Mikoto didn't hesitate and released all of the energy he'd built up and let it envelop Kaori's entire body.

She gave a straggled groan as her black aura attempted to swallow all of the different auras around her, but it seemed to be too much and caused her to hit the ground hard with a gasp.

Shiro rushed forward and held his hand out to slowly encase her in pure silver energy, "It's just as I thought. She can only absorb one at a time, so this is too much for her," He watched her take her head in her hands as if she were experiencing trauma to her brain and frowned, "I'm sorry, Kaori..."

Munakata and Mikoto watched silently as Blake walked over when Kaori's body went still, kneeling down with her hand extended to let her fingers brush against her jugular, "She's still got a pulse but she's out cold. It worked, guys," She turned and looked back at Mikoto, "Thank you."

Mikoto remained silent and walked over, leaning down to pick his wife's limp body up from the ground and followed Blake and Shiro towards the Scepter 4 vehicle waiting for them with the containment unit held inside.

It was hard for Mikoto to lay his lover down on the floor of the unit and turn to walk away, never turning to look back eve as they closed and locked the door so that Blake could seal it shut.

"This is only temporary," Blake tried to assure Mikoto, "I promise."

He only nodded and began walking away, "She wanted to be caught."

"Huh?" Shiro looked at Mikoto, "What do you mean?"

"There's no way that thing inside of her let itself be captured without intention," Mikoto looked back at the Silver and Gold King's, "Keep that in mind when it wakes up."

Blake nodded slowly when Shiro looked at her, "She said she wanted to talk to you, so maybe that's why she let herself be captured so easily."

"Why me?" Blake frowned and looked back at Kaori's lifeless form, "And why go through all the trouble, I wonder?"

"Ma'am!" Hidaka and Fuse came running over to the group and stopped in front of Blake, "It's Miharashi Tower; it's been attacked and the slates are gone!"

"WHAT?!"

 **\- x -**

"Welcome back, Saruhiko," Nagare greeted as the tall male entered the sitting area of their base, "I take it you were successful with the assignment I'd given you?"

Fushimi nodded, "She's currently being held hostage by the Gold King, right where you wanted her to be."

"Good," Nagare smiled before looking at Sukuna, "Is something the matter?"

Sukuna had been pouting and grumpy ever since they'd returned back with the slates, having been sitting by the corner with his arms and legs crossed tightly to match the scowl on his face, "I just don't see why _he_ has to be here and not her!"

"My apologies for sending Kaori away," Nagare watched the younger male, "She has been moved on the board to a place where she can be of use, but I will give you the opportunity to see her once more if that is what you wish?"

Sukuna never answered and continued brooding while Yukari and Tenkei shared a knowing glance.

"If you don't mind, I have something I need to do," Fushimi suddenly said as he looked to Nagare, "If you have a mission for me, let me know immediately."

They all watched as Fushimi made his exit before turning to look at the Green King, who eyed the spot where Fushimi disappeared with slight suspicion in his eyes.

. . .

Fushimi walked along the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets and released a heavy sigh, allowing his feet to carry him towards a place he'd neglected to visit for some time. As he walked into the apartment building, he made his way to her door and pulled out the spare key Keirsten had given him in case of emergencies.

When he got inside, he noticed she wasn't there and her entire place had been left a mess, "What the hell?"

He walked deeper into the apartment and noticed that her two bags were gone and that her drawers were pulled open and had clothing hanging out of them as if she'd pulled things out in a hurry. His brows furrowed as he further inspected the area, noticing everything that she always persistently kept in place was now cluttering the floor like a war zone.

 _"I'll be fine, I just need to pick up something... Yeah, don't worry, Reina. I'll be back before you know it."_

Fushimi turned and watched as the door opened to reveal a wide eyed Keirsten, "S-Saruhiko?" He turned to face her fully and had to brace for impact as she darted forward and flung herself at him, "Damn it, where the hell have you been?! I've been so fucking worried about you!"

Fushimi wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to his chest, letting her mumble against his jacket about how much of a dick he was for disappearing for a long time without a word and patiently waited for her to relax. Once she did, he released his grip on her enough so she could look up at him.

"Where the hell have you been, Saru?" She repeated with a frown, "Reina and Yata said you quit Scepter 4 and went with the Green clan, so was that true? Are you really working with an enemy clan now?"

He stared down at her and nodded slightly, "I had good reason to leave."

"Alright, so you had reason for that but why not call me or, I don't know, come and see me so I didn't worry for days on end if you were still alive?!" Keirsten glared up at him, "I know you don't do relationships with other people very well, but I'm your girlfriend. I have a right to know if you're going to be okay or not, Saurhiko."

He clicked his tongue and frowned, "I was fine. I couldn't contact you because of this reason, and I did it for your safety."

"Yeah, because a bunch of Green clansmen coming around here trying to coax me out of my apartment is protection," She bit back and sighed, "What in the hell are you doing? Really?"

"I can't tell you," Fushimi said but cut her off when she looked up at him to say something, "All I can say is that it's going to be a hell of a fight and that I have something I need to do, so I wanted to come and see you before I go back."

Keirsten felt her stomach drop, "Saruhiko..."

He leaned down and pressed his lips to her own with a startling gentleness that made even her toes tingle in shock. She could feel his arms beginning to tighten around her waist to bring her in close once more, as she slowly circled her arms around his neck.

"Saru," She looked up at him sadly when he pulled away, "You're not saying goodbye, are you?"

He never answered her.

 **\- x -**

"So," Blake leaned against the table across from Kaori's containment unit with her arms folded under her bust and smiled, "You wanted me; here I am."

Kaori looked at her and smiled back, "Thank you for accepting my invitation, albeit rude that you decided to choose our meeting area in place where I have to be bound in shackles."

"It's for your own protection, and mine," Blake said, "So, are we going to talk about this or are you going to tell me why you distracted us all so Nagare could steal the slates?"

The scoff that ripped from Kaori's lips was harsh, "As if I'd help that scrawny bastard after what he's done to me, so don't blame me for your little oopsie when you left this place unprotected. If I'd wanted to help him, I would have been the one mowing you all down with Yukari and Sukuna, but instead I went to meet you all on my own and away from them."

"I'd like to believe you, but somehow I find it difficult to trust someone who has already proven to be dangerous," Blake eyed her, "Let's get right to it."

"Very well," Kaori shifted in her seat and smiled, "I want to call a truce between all of the clans to help you retrieve the slates from Nagare."

Blake blinked, knowing deep down that sounded almost too good to be true, "Really, now?"

"I'm not attempting to deceive you, Blake," Kaori sighed, "Nagare took something from me, so I feel it's only fair I be in the front of your attack to strike him down. You need someone who is able to withstand his power, and as you are aware, I happen to negate said aura. I'd be an asset to you."

The Gold King shifted and sighed, "That all seems fine and dandy, but what happens when he'd dead and the slates are returned? You'll turn on the rest of us, I'm assuming."

"No," Kaori looked her in the eye, "I don't plan on killing you all."

Blake stared her down, "Now that I find hard to believe."

"I'm still the woman Mikoto Suoh married, whether you all wish to believe otherwise," Kaori looked down at watched as the gemstone of her wedding ring caught the light and began to shine beautifully, "I'm still the Kaori you were introduced to and have known now for a year."

Blake frowned, "I know Kaori's in there somewhere, but you're not her."

Black eyes flashed towards her, "You're a fool if you think otherwise."

"You've just proven my point," Blake challenged, "So tell me what it is you're really up to?"

Kaori sat back, "Like I said, I want a truce and to help you kill Nagare and to take back the slates."

"Why?"

"Once the slates have been released, you will no longer have the means or power necessary to restrain me," Kaori smirked, "Do you really want to see that happen?"

Blake narrowed her eyes, "What will you do after the slates have been returned to me?"

"I was originally going to destroy them so I could obtain freedom," Kaori began, "Since my release, I can't leave passed a certain boundary where the slates reach. If I help you get them back, my price is to negotiate my release from their power."

Blake frowned, "If you do that, you'll lose your right as a Queen."

"I'll lose more than that," She glanced towards the two-way glass that she was aware the entire group of allied clans was sitting behind, "I'll most likely lose all of my memories and have a new start. That's all I want now that I've turned into this."

"You're willing to sacrifice your family and friends for all of that?" Blake sighed, "It's not that easy, Kaori."

"I thought I wasn't the woman you knew?" Kaori's brow quirked a grin stretched her lips, "It's simple, really. I give you my help to kill the Green King and reclaim the slates, and you strip me of my powers as the Gold King and allow me the chance to have my freedom."

The Gold King shook her head, "No, I don't buy that at all."

"Why not?"

"You can't be in this solely for freedom," Blake looked at her, "What else is it that you want?"

Kaori paused for a moment before looking at her, "I want you to kill me when the time is right."

"What?" Her brows furrowed, "But you just said that you wanted freedom?"

"That is freedom," Kaori looked down at her hands, "In order for me to be permanently separated from this black aura, I must be killed by a King. While I was in hiding, I did research and found a lot more about this than you would imagine."

Blake glanced back towards the mirror and then returned her gaze to Kaori, "Shiro will be the one to destroy the slates, not you. We'll find another way to separate that black aura from your body."

A cold laughter suddenly erupted from the containment unit as Kaori's head flew back with a twisted smirk, "Oh, you think so, eh?"

Blake watched her and frowned, "You're already too far gone, aren't you?"

"We're all mad here, Blakey-dear," Kaori looked at her with narrowed eyes, her smirk still in place, "You've just got to embrace it~"

With a deep intake of breath, Blake pushed herself from the table and walked to the door ignoring Kaori's laughter.

She walked into the other room and looked at the others, "Well, what exactly do we do now? Do we trust that she's honest and wants to help?"

"I don't know," Shiro frowned, "She doesn't seem..."

Mikoto suddenly walked to the door and pushed it open, leaving Blake to watched with wide eyes, "Mikoto, don't go in there!"

He ignored her and slammed the door shut before entering the other room, closing and locking the door behind him as he kept his amber orbs locked on Kaori. He walked to the middle of the room and grabbed the back of a chair before setting it directly in front of her and lowered himself down on it.

"The Silver King told me you wanted to talk to me," Mikoto sat back with his hands now stuffed in his pockets, "Here I am."

Kaori smiled, "Yes, here you are," She leaned forward and managed to position her arms so that her elbows were on her knees and her face could be cradled in both of her palms, "It's been too long since I've been this close to you."

"Why did you want to speak to me privately?"

"Can't I admire you for a minute before we get to that?" Kaori pouted, "It's not nice to tease, Mikoto."

His eyes narrowed, "Don't play around."

"I know you'd never hurt me," Kaori giggled, "You love me too much to see any harm come to me, so I'm safe even if you lose your temper."

His lips pulled into a smirk, "That's where you're wrong," Her eyes locked onto him as he stared her down, "My wife would rather die by my hands then lose herself to another person, so if you think that wearing her skin will save you, you're sorely mistaken."

"You'd kill your own lover?" Kaori blinked and shudder, "How cold. It makes me shudder in delight just thinking of those big hands around my neck, crushing the air out of me while I suffocate to death. Merciless, cold hearted killer. How sexy."

Mikoto watched her, "Don't make me repeat myself again."

"Fine, fine," Kaori sat up straight and waved her hands, "You're no fun at all. It's a wonder you've managed to keep this pussy for so long with the show of attitude I've seen so far."

The Red King's eyes flashed angrily, making Kaori smirk in delight.

"Did I hit a nerve?" She teased with a joyous ring to her voice, "You want to know why I called you in here? Well, two reasons, actually."

Mikoto sat back and watched her unblinking, giving what he referred to as the "black prowess" all of his attention.

"You're on a mission to get your wife back, and I understand deep don how noble that is," Kaori said with a smirk, "But I have unfinished business with all of you, so I plan on taking my time. Yes, I will help you all beat that Green King's ass back from his high horse, but I still require something in return. This something, is something only you can get me."

"Which is?"

"Your son."

Mikoto's shoulders shook as he stifled his laughter, "You're joking, right?"

"Not in the least," She smirked even as she watched him, "Your daughter lacked the inherited jean that would have given her this power, so I need Kaen Suoh in order to be of full service to you all."

Mikoto's brow rose, "And why do you need my son?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," She taunted, "Like I told the Gold King, if you let the Green clan release the slates, you won't be able to stop me from breaking out of this building to go and take care of the job myself. So really, I'm giving you a choice to save yourselves or to be sacrificed like that scrawny bastard will be once I get my hands on him."

He didn't speak until his eyes narrowed slightly, "Why exactly do you want to kill Hisui Nagare?"

"He's taken a lot from you, hasn't he?" Kaori mused, "Well, he's also taken something from me. I don't particularly like it when this whole thing affects me just as much as it does all of you."

"And the answer is to kill you once we've gotten the slates back?"

Kaori nodded, "You want your woman back, you have to give me freedom."

Mikoto's eyes narrowed even more as a twisted smirk slowly pulled at Kaori's face, much like the one she'd given Blake before she left the room. It made him curious but he never questioned her about it, decided he'd had enough talking with the entity inside of his wife and got up to leave.

"Would you like to talk to her just once before we begin this fight against the Green's?" Kaori was smirking, "I can give you a moment of relief if you desire it."

His entire body froze as he turned to look at Kaori, who was now standing up and walking to the bars of the unit. When his amber eyes locked on familiar chocolate ones, he felt his feet move on their own and walked to meet her.

"Mikoto," Kaori whispered, her voice making her sound as if she were struggling against something, "You have to do it through the heart..."

Mikoto's eyes widened slightly, "Kaori."

"You have to do it through my heart," She whispered urgently, looking up at him with wide eyes, "Remember Mikoto, to free one's horse is to release the beast and allow it to depart from this life."

His brows furrowed in confusion at her words but as he reached to touch her, he hesitated knowing what she was asking him to do even without further inquiring.

"You can't let it snuff out the flames," She looked up at him and tried with difficulty to fight against her restraints to touch him, "That's why it has to be you."

He'd let his hand pass through the bars and brushed his fingers over the top of her hand and watched her relax significantly before her face contorted in pain. She pulled away quickly and groaned loudly, doing her best to grab her head and shook for a moment before smirking.

"Well, it seems that's all the time you've got today," Her eyes flashed to him, now a black color and staring at him with cold intent, "Bye bye, lover boy~"

Mikoto pulled his hand away from the bars and turned, walking out the door without a word nor giving the entity the satisfaction of seeing him both enraged and heartbroken.

 **\- x -**

"You seem as though you have something you need to get off your chest."

Yukari turned to see Tenkei walking up behind him and smiled, "Is it that obvious?"

"Care to tell me what's on your mind?" Tenkei leaned against the railing they were standing in front of, enjoying the cool breeze as the sky turned dark, "This is about Kaori, isn't it?"

Yukari nodded slowly and crossed his arms, "I wonder if she's doing alright."

"You care a lot more about her than you let on," Tenkei chuckled, "Don't be bashful. I wish she'd consider staying with us, too."

The tall male looked down at the Gray King, "You've grown rather fond of her too, haven't you?"

"I have," Tenkei nodded, "She's truly a unique soul. It's hard not to want to be around her."

Yukari nodded, "She even managed to tame Sukuna's childish demeanor and brash tendencies."

"That she did," Tenkei smiled, "I think near the end of it even Nagare was growing on her, but he decided to play his cards in a more dangerous way rather than waiting it out."

"Yes," Yukari sighed, "Our Nagare ruined such a beautiful woman."

Tenkei smirked, "Oh ho! Such harsh words coming from you of all people."

"It's a shame," Yukari looked out to the buildings beginning to light the entire area as night finally settled over Shizume City, "I believe if she had of stayed I might have loved her."

Tenkei watched him, "I figured you were at that point but I didn't want to say anything," He turned and looked at the lights as well, "It's unlike you to grow attached to someone other than your clansmen and that Yatogami fella you grew up with."

"She's truly a unique soul that deserves to blossom eternally with the beauty she possesses both inside and out," Yukari smiled.

Tenkei chuckled, "It will make things interesting once the slates have been released to see everyone's reaction, won't it?"

Yukari nodded, "We just have to wait for the pieces to fall into place, and then our Nagare will finally put the plan into motion."

"Are you ready for that?"

Yukari looked at Tenkei and nodded, "I will follow my King's orders no matter what my personal feelings insist I do."

"I see," Tenkei pushed off the railing and smiled, "Well then, let's go and have a good supper and prepare for the beginning of the big event tomorrow."

* * *

 **So, after pondering the idea for a while now, I'm either going to do a Nagare x OC miniseries after this is complete, or a Yukari x OC miniseries.**

 **Now, keep in mind, I DO NOT write yaoi. I don't mind reading it but I can't write it, so I will be creating a female OC for one of those two. Yukari still creeps me out some, but I feel he has the potential to be such an amazing lover if we overlook the fact he's rather vain LOOL**

 **As for Nagare, he's got a lot of depth to him and I feel pairing him with someone who can combat his childish nature and blunt personality would do him some good. Everyone deserves a chance at happiness with someone, so why not him? :'D**

 **Anywhoo, that's just a couple of ideas I'm throwing out there since the Green clan members and the Gray King have been added to the K character list as of yet. I haven't noticed major activity with people writing about them yet either, so I'd like to get my hands dirty and dabble around with them for a while. Not that I don't love our darling Blue, Red and Silver clan. . . I just feel poor Nagare is neglected. LOOL**

 **As for this chapter, whatcha guys think? :D**

 **Next chapter may seem slow, but the fighting is approaching and I will not be spoiling it for anyone if any character is going to die. I'll leave that all up to your guys' imaginations, but don't jump to conclusions and think I'm killing certain people off just because of some words exchanged. ;)**

 **It's snowing like a banshee out here tonight, so I'll most likely not have school tomorrow and be writing all day so I'm going to be updating Pieces of Me! Decided on a funny update, so I hope you all come on over and join me for the laugh! :)**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	10. CH IX - TEMPTAION (PT I)

**Well, we're over halfway through this series and still have so much to go! It's going to just keep building up and getting more intense with every update as of now, so hold on to your seats and join me on an emotional roller-coaster! ;)**

 **Akakocat – I'm so happy you like it! And yes, Kaori is very scary when she's being mean, haha! As for our beloved Saru and Keirsten, we shall see if that was a goodbye or not!**

 **Halloween Witch – Haha yes! This black aura is a very tricky thing, isn't it! As for possible deaths, I'm not going to say a word but as this story is categorized under "tragedy", I can't make any promises! ;)**

 **MissAnimeMiss – Well, you won't have much longer to wait for the fight scenes, because it starts very soon! ;)**

 **Mrs.1DJessup – Well, good that I'm figuratively killing you slowly! ;P**

 **So, ya'll be happy to know that I've already written three chapters to my Nagare x OC miniseries. LOOL I can't leave anything alone when I get ideas in my head, however I will only be posting it the week of Christmas. Think of it as a Christmas gift to all of you from me! :)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 9**

 **Temptation – Part I**

* * *

It had been near two weeks since the plan to capture Kaori and the Green clan's successful mission to obtain the slates. During that time, a slew of incidents followed as the month continued to near its closing while the slates drew nearer and nearer to being fully released. Citizens were setting things on fire, causing explosions and creating the chaos that Hisui Nagare was striving so hard to create.

Having had enough, Blake finally walked into the viewing room where she could watch the camera situated in the far corner to Kaori's room and sat down in front of the screen with her lips pulled into a grim line. Shiro had followed her in, sitting down beside her and looked at her seriously.

"She's been pacing the wall like that ever since the incidents have become more frequent," Blake sighed, "Do you think she can sense the slates Weissman levels increasing?"

Shiro nodded, "Most likely. She's connected to them by being a Queen and even more so now that she's declared herself a King, so there's no telling what's going through her mind right now."

"I think I'm going to take her up on her offer and have her help us kill Nagare," Blake suddenly said with a monotone voice, "We're running out time and this is our only option at this point."

Shiro frowned and turned his chair so he was facing her fully, "Are you sure you want to risk her possibly turning against us at the last minute?"

"I can handle Nagare if it comes to that, and we know Kaori can't absorb more than one aura at a time so we'll have Munakata and Mikoto incapacitate her."

He shook his head, "We don't know if that will work should the slates be fully released. She sounded extremely confident that we wouldn't be able to stop her if that happened."

"Then we have her fight with us," Blake looked at him, "What if it's true, and the only thing that presence inside of Kaori wants is to be released? We kill Nagare, return the slates to their resting place and get her back."

"That sounds almost too good to be true," He sat back and crossed his arms, "But, if you really feel like it could work, I'll stand behind you."

Blake smiled small, "At least you will. The minute Munakata hears we're letting her loose, he's going to lose his mind."

"He'll come around once he sees that we were right to have faith in Kaori," Shiro looked at the monitor and watched her as she finally sat down and leaned back against the wall, "She's still in there and she's still got fight left in her."

Blake nodded, "That's what I'm counting on."

. . .

"Understood, Shiro," Kusanagi cut the call after saying his goodbyes to the Silver King and took a moment to compose his words in his mind as he watched all of the Red clan lounging around his bar, "Everyone, listen up."

All eyes fell on Kusanagi as he folded his arms across his chest, "I just heard from Shiro. They've made a decision," His eyes landed on Mikoto, who had been sitting in his usual spot on the leather sofa with both kids while holding Alani as she had her nap and letting Kaen play with the fingers of his other hand, "They're going to release Kaori and take her up on her offer to help us kill Nagare."

"What?!" Several of the members turned and whispered to each other while Yata stood up with a fist clenched, "But, what happens if that thing inside of her decides to turn against us?! How do we stop something that can take away our powers?!"

Kusanagi sighed, "Blake seriously believes she's being genuine," He paused and shifted his weight onto one leg, "That, and we've officially run out of options."

"It said it wanted to kill Nagare," Mikoto looked at him, "After it does just that is when we'll have to worry about our own safety."

The bartender nodded, "Yeah, I agree."

Tatara looked at Mikoto before looking to Kusanagi, "When do they plan on letting her out?"

"Today," Kusanagi heard a round of gasps at the revelation, "When I was talking to Shiro, Blake had already gone to settle the negotiations with that thing inside of Kaori."

"That soon, eh?" Mikoto looked down at Alani.

Tatara frowned, "What happens after the Green King is killed?"

"I guess we'll find out when that time comes," Kusanagi sighed, rubbing his temples for a minute before grabbing his phone again to call Shiro back.

. . .

"B-But, why?!" Hidaka hollered loudly after Awashima had revealed the exact information having already been given to the Red clan, "We can't trust the Red Queen!"

Munakata sat silently as his eyes narrowed slightly. From beside him, Eri had begun to watch his aura and noticed that it was circulating rapidly. She frowned, knowing this was making him excessively angry when it could have been avoided.

"We have no choice now but to trust that the Gold King has made the right decision," Awashima crossed her arms under her bust, "In all honesty, she's right. We really have run out of options, and if the creature inside of Kaori Suoh really is truthful in wanting to help us eliminate Hisui Nagare and retrieve the slates, we couldn't ask for a more convenient player on the board."

Akiyama frowned, "But there's always a risk that she could turn on us."

"Shiro and Blake have already discussed that," Awashima turned to Akiyama and gave him an understanding look, "The Red clan has already been informed and have no objections. The only stipulation we are all under is that when the time comes to decide what happens to Kaori, Mikoto will be the one to kill her should it come down to that."

Munakata looked at her, "He's prepared to die," He stood up and brought his hands behind his back, allowing his fingers to close around one of his wrists, "However, I'm curious to see if what she said that day was true."

"Sir?" All eyes fell on him.

"The black presence inside of Kaori Suoh told both the Gold and Red King's that it wished for freedom, and that by having one of them kill it's host it would obtain said freedom," Munakata looked out the window, "Something in that doesn't make sense."

Awashima nodded, "It also asked for their son."

"Yes, another unanswered question to add to the many already up in the air," Munakata narrowed his eyes slightly, "There's also something in the way she was speaking..."

Awashima watched her captain and frowned, "What do you mean, sir?"

"I have a bold assumption about what's going on with Kaori Suoh, but I will keep it to myself until the time comes," He turned to look at Awashima, "If I know Suoh as well as I think I do, I'm sure he's also thinking the same as me."

. . .

"So, finally decided to come have a chit-chat with me?" Kaori mused as Blake entered the room and sat down on the chair Mikoto had brought to the middle of the room the day she was captured, "Took you all long enough to finally see through reason."

Blake frowned, "I'll get right to the point; we don't trust you as far as we can throw you. I'll also be quite frank and tell you that should you turn on us during this fight, I'll personally see to it that you're ripped out of Kaori's body and locked away so you'll never gain your freedom."

"Harsh words boldly spoken by a pacifist," Kaori grinned, "However, I don't plan on deceiving you. I want out of this body and to have my freedom. There's only so many naughty memories or gushy, romantic scenes playing in this shared mind that I can take before it becomes too much. It sickens me how in love this woman is with that King."

Blake sat back against the back of the chair, "It's a thing that you obviously don't understand, or else you'd know why she feels the way she does."

A smirk suddenly broke out on Kaori's face, "Oh, I understand perfectly."

 _Could there be two personalities?_ Blake's eyes narrowed, "Let me ask you something," Kaori's eyes blinked as Blake watched her intensely, "You wouldn't happen to know where the Colorless King is hiding, would you? You seem like someone he would work alongside with."

Kaori shrugged, "He's the only King I haven't come into contact with but from what the rumors suggest about him, I'd like to stay far away from someone who could hijack this body and fight both Kaori and myself for possession. With the unfinished business we both have, having interference from him would cause a stitch in all of our plans."

"I see," Blake nodded slowly, "Getting back to the topic at hand, I want to know that I have your full cooperation when I let you out of this cage. You will help us eliminate Hisui Nagare only after we've secured the slates."

"Correction," Kaori's eyes narrowed to match the Gold King's, " _I will_ eliminate Hisui Nagare while you all reclaim the slates. No one will end that bastards life but me."

"Why is that?"

Kaori sat back, "It is a request from this lovely lady that we be the ones to kill him so that he darling husband does not have to take on the burden of killing a King. As a way to thank her for being a gracious host, I've decided I want to help her achieve that goal. However, she won't have any part in it either."

"How considerate of you," Blake mused, "I don't think she'll be around long enough to appreciate the favor you'll be doing for her, so what's the point?"

Kaori looked at her, "Like I said, I want a new start. If I'm given freedom by your hands, she will lose her memory and become a blank slate. However, if we die by Mikoto Suoh's hands, then she retains her memory and I'll still be given freedom. That is where Kaen Suoh comes into this all."

"So you weren't just asking for her son for the shits and giggles of it all?" Blake's eyebrow rose, "What part does he have to play in this all?"

Kaori smiled, "I'd rather not say."

Blake narrowed her eyes but knew she wouldn't get an answer from the woman in front of her, "Fine."

Kaori watched as Blake stood up and walked to the locking mechanism on the door to her cell. When she stood up to walk over to meet the Gold King, she received a warning look before Blake released the bind she'd put on the cell herself and opened the key.

"We're all going after the Green's tomorrow, so I hope you're ready."

Kaori smirked, stepping out of the containment unit and watched as her shackles fell to the ground, "Of course, Gold King."

 **\- x -**

"So this is what everyone has been fussing about?" Fushimi's eyes narrowed down at the slates, watching as they glowed a vibrant mint color that grew brighter and brighter with each passing moment.

"Mm," Sukuna nodded before looking up at him, "Not getting cold feet, are you?"

Fushimi eyed the younger boy beside him with narrowed eyes, noticing the smug grin on his face as he stared up at him waiting for his answer, "Of course not."

"Want to spar until then?" Sukuna faced him and held his weapon out, "I promise I won't kill you, since we're "comrades" and all that junk. I'll even wager a hefty amount of points if that sweetens the deal."

"Not interested," Fushimi looked back at the slates, not noticing someone approaching from behind.

Sukuna smirked, "Afraid I'll humiliate you in front of our King?"

"Would you two knock it off?!"

Both Fushimi and Sukuna landed on the floor with their hands holding their heads as Yukari towered over both of them, "What the hell, Yukari?!"

"We're days away from the total release of the slates, and you two find time to argue?" He sighed, "Really, there's much more productive ways to occupy your time."

Fushimi muttered under his breath before slowly rising to his feet, not bothering to turn and look at the taller male behind him.

"I'm so bored, though!" Sukuna whined, "Why can't we go outside and start picking off the Blue and Red clansmen one-by-one already?!"

"We wait until the right time, Sukuna," Yukari crossed his arms, watching the boy narrow his eyes and scoff before running over to Nagare and Tenkei, "Forgive him. He has no self-control, nor does he understand that sometimes waiting for the right moment gives a better outcome."

Fushimi snorted, "He's a child, so of course he'll act like one."

"Oh, but to me you're also quite young," Yukari mused, ignoring the glare shot at him from Fushimi, "In any case, I would strongly recommend declining an invitation to fight against Sukuna in the future. He may not seem it, but he rivals even my own strength and is considered my equal."

Fushimi's brow rose, "He's so young?"

"Mm," Yukari let his hands drop to his sides, "He may be young, but he's incredibly strong."

Fushimi looked forward and nodded slowly, not bothering to answer him back.

"The slates will blossom shortly, so we must be prepared for everything," Yukari smiled.

 **\- x -**

"This is bad," Blake frowned and crossed her arms, "Munakata's not returning my calls so I don't know if we can count on the Blue's for support."

Kusanagi smiled, "To be honest, I don't think we'll need them," His eyes landed on Kaori, who was standing off to the side staring out a window and then to Mikoto, who had been watching her the entire time, "We have enough man-power with all of HOMRA and with you Kings, so I think we can do this."

Blake nodded slowly and sighed with a smile, "You're right. We also have Kuroh, Neko and Kaori, who will be our key players here."

"What of Mishakuji Yukari and Gojo Sukuna?"

Shiro walked into the room, followed by Kuroh and Neko, "Kuroh has requested we let him deal with Yukari on his own, and I'm honoring his wishes. As for Sukuna, we need to have someone agile to take him on so I think perhaps Yata would be a fitting opponent."

"Heh! I'll squash that little bastard with the tip of my pipe!" Yata boasted with a smirk.

Neko looked around and blinked, "Where are all the girls?"

"They're all back at HOMRA," Kusanagi looked at her, "We asked each and every one of them to guard the three babies and Anna. Reina wasn't too thrilled to be missing the action, but we needed someone with some bronze to stand guard there."

"I also sent some of the Usagi there to guard the surrounding area, so if anyone gets in they'll have to go through them first," Blake smiled.

Shiro looked at Blake, "I just heard from lieutenant Awashima," All eyes were on him, "It seems the Prime Minister has relieved Munakata of all duties."

Mikoto's eyes narrowed slightly as everyone stood there slightly shocked.

Kamamoto's brows furrowed, "What? Did she say why?"

"Only that he no longer felt Munakata was right for the job," Shiro frowned, "Also, there was mention of the Green's being involved so maybe they feel that with the Green clan's growing strength that he can rely on them now."

Kaori scoffed, "As if that would ever be an appropriate solution."

"I agree," Shiro nodded, "So, even without the Blue clan's help, you all still want to do this?"

All of the Red clan nodded as Kusanagi smiled, however all of their attention was directed towards a certain woman, "We're going to see this through to the end."

Blake followed his gaze over to Kaori and nodded in understanding, "Alright."

"We'll attack tomorrow," Shiro looked at everyone, "But first, we need to move fast and get to my airship without being too conspicuous."

Kusanagi's brow rose, "Why?"

"We're taking my airship to visit Nagare," Shiro said with a smile.

. . .

"Lieutenant," Akiyama looked back at Awashima, after having been the supervising officer when she went on a call to meet with the Prime Minister, "Any word as to why our captain was dismissed?"

Awashima looked worse for wear, "He was promised protection by the Green clan and after foolishly letting our guard down for the slates to be stolen, he no longer felt the need to have the captain in charge," Her face twisted in anger, "He's been waiting for an opportunity like this to get rid of captain Munakata."

Akiyama frowned, "It seems this entire country is turning towards the Green's."

She nodded, "Our orders are to stay here and wait for further instruction," She sighed and crossed her arms under her bust, looking passed the shocked look on Akiyama's face, "When the Silver, Gold and Red Kings make their move, we're going to have to sit back and watch."

"That's ridiculous!" Akiyama threw his hand to the side, "There has to be something we can do?"

Awashima gave him an understanding nod, "I wish there was, Akiyama... But we have no choice other than to follow the Prime Minister's orders as of right now."

Angered, Akiyama silently followed Awashima to the main meeting room as she prepared to tell all of the other Special Unit members of their new predicament. As she suspected and just like Akiyama, all of the others gave her the same outraged reaction and demanded to know why their captain was wrongfully dismissed.

Off to the side, Zenjo silently excused himself and walked out of the room after carefully listening to Awashima's words. In that instant, he recalled the private conversation shared between him and the Blue King, meaning his assignment was now coming to its start.

 **\- x -**

It was late in the evening when all of the party going against Nagare had boarded the airship and were now looking down on Shizume City. One person in particular stood by the fancy marble railing, leaning over to take in the sights with a rather calm, Zen demeanor surrounding her.

"It's not nice to sneak up on people," Kaori said as she finally had enough of the familiar presence idly standing behind her, "Even more so if you're sneaking up on a woman. Come join me."

Yata slowly emerged from behind one of the perfectly shaped spruce trees and slowly made his way over, leaning on the rail a few feet away from her with his eyes looking outward. Despite the warnings that had been given to all of HOMRA by Blake, Yata felt that same pull like he normally did after being so close to the woman he looked up to as a mother figure.

Even now, he felt a sense of calm wash over him just by standing beside her even though he knew this thing inside his clan's Queen was manipulative and a very good actress.

The two stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity before Yata finally inhaled deeply before turning his gaze towards her, "Is she really in there?"

"She's in here, yes," Kaori answered honestly, "However, I am suppressing her so she will not have to witness what it is we're about to do. I believe deep down, even though Nagare had caused her pain in many aspects, she harbors a sense of respect for him."

Yata's brows shot up, "But, why?"

"He showed her a great deal of kindness and hospitality while she was in his care," She looked at him with black eyes, mildly surprised when Yata did not shy away from her gaze, "Perhaps that's why she feels the way she does. She knows what has to be done, but she's a kind soul that fights to see the good in people."

The vanguard nodded with a small smile, "Yeah, she's amazing like that."

"You hold a great respect for this woman," She pointed out, "Why?"

Yata looked at her before looking out to the great expanse in front of them, "She accepted me even though I was fresh out of high school and had a reputation for being a fighter. Although all I wanted to do when Saruhiko and I first joined HOMRA was fight, she taught me many things and helped me build myself up so that I could really be the best that I could for Mikoto and his clan."

"I see," She looked forward, "She thinks of you as a son. Often, when she has fallen asleep, she dreams of her life back in the Red clan. I've seen moments shared between her and the Red King, as well as times when there were smiles on all of your faces."

"She sleeps while you're in her body?" Yata's brows furrowed.

Kaori nodded, "We are one in the same, however I am seen as a threat. The truth behind why I am in Kaori's body is something that would take far too long to explain, but I meant what I said when I told your King and the Gold King that I wanted my freedom."

"Won't Kaori lose her memory if you two are separated?" Yata frowned.

She looked at him, "If we are killed by Blake Tadashi's hand, yes. However, if we are struck down by Mikoto Suoh, she will retain all of her memories."

"What's the difference between the two?"

She smiled, "A King can bring back his Queen, but it's for a price he has to be willing to pay," There was a moment where it looked as though she'd shuddered, when she suddenly grinned and winked, "I'm betting on the fact that he'll do it anyway, not caring about the risks!"

Yata's mouth opened to reply, when Kaori cut him off again.

"Besides, I have every right to be jealous of what she'll have once we're separated," Her voice was indifferent, "I may gain my freedom, yes, but she'll return to the loving arms of a man who would give her the world. I feel it would only be fair for Blake to kill us so that Kaori experiences a new beginning, just like me."

With that, Kaori pushed herself off the railing and turned on her heel. Yata watched her with a shocked expression as she disappeared into the elegantly designed chamber where all of the others would be, having been left with so many questions floating around him.

What did she mean by that?

Yata frowned, "What the fuck is going to happen?"

. . .

 _All eyes watched as Kaori entered the bar with Blake and Shiro following right behind her. Kyra and Akira stood off to the side and anchored themselves down, fighting the urge to run over and envelop their friend in tight hug. There was a stale, tense air that quickly took over the atmosphere in the bar as everyone watched Kaori cross the room over to where Mikoto waited for her at the stairs._

 _It had taken some convincing, but he reluctantly agreed to allow Kaori to see Kaen and Alani. It was under the consensus that should he feel she threatened their lives, he would be the one to act as they were going to be alone in the room without the other Kings there to supervise._

 _She looked up at him and nodded her greeting, not at all insulted by the way he brushed it off and turned to the stairs. She followed close behind him until they reached the very first door off to the right of the stairs, walking into the room when he'd opened the door for her. With her eyes closed and her breath hitched, she fought against the visions that passed rapidly through her mind at the sight of the familiar king sized bed across the room that looked as though it hadn't been slept in for ages._

 _Mikoto grunted and pulled her attention back to the task at hand, motioning for her to follow him towards the couch where he'd pulled the crib to. As she neared the couch, she watched the two inside trying desperately to reach up for her._

 _"Do whatever it is you need to do and get it done fast," His voice was gruff and monotone, "This is cruel enough just letting them see their mother's face without knowing it's not really her."_

 _Kaori looked at him, noticing he'd crossed his arms over his chest and was coiled like a tightly wound spring, "I suppose you're right," She walked to the edge of the crib and reached her hand down towards her son's stomach, "She's struggling against me at the moment."_

 _"Why not extend your kindness like you did before?" His brow rose._

 _She smiled small, "Perhaps I will," With her palm facing down, she gently placed her hand on Kaen's chest, "This may seem like it will hurt him, but I'm only activating the black aura so he can express it himself."_

 _Mikoto watched intensely as Kaen's body lit up in a black haze, watching for any signs of pain on his son's face but was thankful when he continued to look up at his mother's face without any change in expression._

 _"That's it?"_

 _Kaori nodded, "I can't tell you why this was important, but you'll know soon enough."_

 _"I can only guess it has something to do with me killing you both," Mikoto eyed her, slightly annoyed when he didn't get a reaction out of her._

 _She looked at him, "I'll give you a few minutes of privacy, but this is the last of my show of kindness until this is all said and done. I can't have Kaori ruining my plans for the Green King."_

 _Mikoto narrowed his eyes at her words, but felt all resentment and anger towards the entity inside of his wife when his amber orbs were met with those beautiful chocolate ones he'd fallen in love with._

 _Without a word, Kaori rounded the crib and jumped into the opened-arm embrace that had been waiting for her. She smiled softly against his chest as he held her close, enjoying the heat that she'd been refused for so long._

 _"She's not giving you long, is she?" Mikoto frowned, looking down at his wife while she looked up to meet his eye, "I thought as much."_

 _Kaori smiled small, reaching up to grip the back of his head gently as he fingers slid through his soft red tresses, "It'll have to be long enough."_

 _When their lips met, it felt as though it was their first kiss all over again. Mikoto practically fell apart as his body surged with all of the pent up friction he'd experienced in the absence of her touch. Kaori, too, felt her knees buckle as he held her tightly against his chest. When they finally broke apart, he pressed his forehead against her own and enjoyed the way her cheeks were flushed and her lips were stretched in a soft smile._

 _"I've missed you," She whispered, stroking the back of his neck with her fingertips._

 _Mikoto nodded, "And I've missed you," He sighed and reluctantly released her, knowing she would want to hold their twins, "Too damn much."_

 _Kaori giggled despite their situation and turned to see Alani was beginning to cry, "Oh, my babies," She frowned and reached down, quickly picking up Alani to hold in her left arm before skillfully picking Kaen up to hold in her right, "Shh, it's okay."_

 _The two children hugged their mother's neck tightly and clung to her like she'd disappear if they didn't, making Mikoto's heart wrench. He hated doing this, knowing seeing their mother would only make things worse when she wouldn't return to them after this meeting but it was long overdue._

 _Walking up behind her, he carefully wrapped his arms around her to embrace his family. He could feel her relax significantly in his hold and smiled when she leaned back against him._

 _"She said you'd lose your memories if you two were to be taken down by the Gold King," Mikoto looked down at her, "Is that true?"_

 _Kaori nodded slowly, "That's why it needs to be you. Only a King can bring back his Queen, but I have a feeling she's going to try and keep us apart when it comes down to that."_

 _"Mm," He nodded in agreement, "Why does she need Kaen?"_

 _"If I tell you, she's threatened to take back control and try to harm the kids," Kaori frowned and sighed, "So I can't tell you."_

 _"What you said to me the other day," His brows furrowed, "I understand what you're asking me to do, but what I don't get it why?"_

 _Kaori looked back at him after soothing her two children, "I told you to release the beast, right?" He nodded, "She's not the beast inside of me."_

 _Mikoto narrowed his eyes, "What?"_

* * *

 **I'm SO SORRY this is so late! I have horsey friends that just got back from their trip to go see their family in Alberta so I've been practically living at their house taking care of their three dogs and ten horses. Not going to complain though, I got to take advantage of their indoor riding ring and work the pants of my own horse (he's fat and lazy) as well as three of her own, so it was all in good fun! ;)**

 **Anywhoo! In story-related news, I'm sad to say that there's only going to be three or four more chapters left to the series! Boo! Although, the last chapter will be hella fucking long. I've already written the final chapter out, and it's huge. A lot is going to happen within the last few pieces of this sequel, so I hope you all will join me to very end of an amazing journey! :)**

 **I just wanted to mention as well, this is where the original story line and my story come together. I'm not going to follow Return of King's to a straight T for obvious reasons, but as far as it stands it'll be similar.**

 **Also, I'm pretty sure someone is going to figure out what's going on towards the end of it, but I'm hoping to surprise at least some of you! ;)**

 **I'd also like to point out, it was much fucking needed to have a moment of reprieve for Kaori and Mikoto, don't you think? ;D**

 **Next chapter is being written as this one is being posted, so I should have it up sometime either today or tomorrow!**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	11. CH X - TEMPTATION (PT II)

**Sorry this took so friggen long. For some reason this one just wasn't flowing so nicely as the others have when I type them up, here it is! And this is where all that action starts~ ;)**

 **Reviews will be in the next update! :)**

 **I apologize for the way (again) and the fact this chapter is so ridiculously small, but I'll make up for it, promise! :)**

 **Next chapter is where Nagare and Mikoto have it out, so be prepared. I had a lot of fun typing up the fighting scene, but I still have a lot left to do! ;)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 10**

 **Temptation – Part II**

* * *

As the airship neared its landing point (or rather, crashing zone), it picked up immense speed and pierced through the Gray King's fog with ease. Said King, who had been facing against the Blue King, watched in shock as the Silver King's vessel crashed several yards away from the opening to the Green clan's underground base.

Tenkei smirked as he looked back at Munakata, "It's unlike you to be a decoy, Reisi."

"You misunderstand," Munakata smiled, "That had nothing to do with me. Perhaps it was the other Kings who are behind it, but as it stands I am still your opponent," His azure eyes shifted to the man standing off to the side, "Be ready."

"Sir," Zenjo nodded, "I suspect the others will be arrive shortly."

Munakata nodded, "Knowing Miss Awashima, you're right."

Tenkei shot forward with the butt end of his gun held high and aimed for Munakata, "Don't take your focus off me, Reisi!"

Munakata barely managed to dodge the attack, as he readied his sword to make his own move.

. . .

"Is everyone alright?" Shiro asked as he watched all of the Red clan jumping out the crushed compartment after the crash landing.

As everyone nodded, his eyes traveled over to Neko and Blake, who were watching as Kuroh helped Kaori down from a spot she'd gotten stuck in.

"Alright, now that we're all good, let's go in and get into place," Shiro smiled, following closely as everyone jumped into action.

One by one, all of HOMRA split up and cleared their assigned floors. Kusanagi and Yata went a head of the others to better clear where they needed to be in order to set the pace for the three Kings and Kaori as they made their way to the bottom of the base.

After hearing from all of the boys, Kusanagi looked back at Shiro and Blake as they approached, "I just heard from everyone. We're all in position aside from Yata."

"I gave him a special mission," Blake looked at him.

Kaori stood off to the side as Mikoto kept her in his sight, "Let's get this over with."

Kaori eyed the Red King momentarily before following him and the other Kings down a long, narrow corridor towards the lowest level of the base. When they arrived at the bottom of the stairs after defeating a horde of enemy U-rank players that were positioned in the halls to stop them, they reached a large set of double doors.

"This is where we split up," Shiro looked back at everyone, "Blake, you're still going with Kaori?"

Mikoto was the one who answered, "I'll be going with her."

Kaori narrowed her eyes slightly but didn't complain, however Blake had a lot to say.

"The hell, Suoh!" Blake glared, "We had a deal!"

Mikoto narrowed his eyes at her, "I don't give a damn. She has her reasons for why she wants to ring Nagare's neck, and so do I."

"You're not going in there."

Mikoto stepped forward, his aura flaring and his eyes ablaze, "You're going to stop me?'

Kuroh bravely stepped between the two, "Enough, we're not here to fight amongst ourselves. We are here for the retrieval of the slates and to defeat the Green King."

Mikoto and Blake stared each other down until finally, she scoffed and crossed her arms, "Fine, but I'm coming with you. I need to silence the slates before their Weissman level reaches its peak."

"Whatever," Mikoto brushed her off and held a blazing fist up, "Just don't get in my way."

With that, Mikoto hauled his fist back before slamming it into the middle of the double doors with enough force to send them flying into the bright expanse of the room waiting for them on the other side. Much to annoyance, more of the U-ranks had been waiting and aimed their high powered weapons at them all.

Mikoto smirked, activating his sanctum as his body was consumed by fire. With a harsh kick off the ground, he shot forward and ran straight for the men as they fired their weapons at him. Cries of outrage to the fact none of the bullets could penetrate the Kings personal shield of the flames made them all holler loudly and fire erratically. With every twist and turn he made, Mikoto made sure to hit each and every one of the fifteen men in his way with the brunt of his rage.

"Damn," Blake frowned, "He's letting his flames take control. How the fuck are we going to handle him if he loses it?"

"He won't," Kaori said as she stepped forward, "If it comes to that, I will temporarily disarm his sanctum in the only way I can with this body."

The Gold King frowned, "That's right, you're still connected to him."

"That's right," She smiled before walking forward to follow Mikoto through the trail of ash left from the bodies Mikoto had incinerated, "Shall we, Gold King?"

Blake nodded slowly and followed with everyone else, listening to the sounds of walls crumbling and small explosions as Mikoto hastily cleared a path for them. Shiro felt his aura pull to the fact that Mikoto was millimeters away from losing control, knowing he was trying to postpone that very moment for when he was standing in front of the Green King.

"Kuroh," Shiro looked at him, "When the time comes, get out of here. King's orders."

Kuroh frowned and nodded, "Alright."

Neko looked at Shiro worriedly, "Shiro?"

He did his best to give her a calm smile, but he didn't fool her.

"Get them!"

"It's the Red King, watch out!"

"Use the plasma rockets!"

As Mikoto continued running forward, five men waited with enormous weapons at the ready. His lips pulled into a smirk as the tips began to light up and took in power, before launching what he could tell were compressed projections of the Green King's own power. Dodging the first three easily, Mikoto swung his body around with his right fist ablaze and slammed his knuckles right into an on-coming fourth bullet, effectively stopping it in its tracks and causing it to ricochet off his own powers back towards the men. With the fifth bullet, he did the same thing and followed them back to the men.

"Get out of the way!"

Mikoto lurched forward and grabbed two of them by their heads with an iron-like grip, causing them to yell out in pain as they struggled but it was in vain. Faster than the bullets could have destroyed them, Mikoto set them on fire before going after the last three.

"Mikoto, you fool," Blake bit the fleshy part of the tip of her thumb, "He's fucking enjoying this!"

Kaori smiled, "Why rob him of his chance to let out all of the pent up rage? Let him be. He's still in the safe zone."

"How can I know that for sure when you're taking pleasure in watching him annihilated these men?"

An eerie, almost terrifying smile crossed the beautiful Red Queen's face, "You'll see."

. . .

"Damn it," Kusanagi grunted and continued taking down more and more men and women that continued to rush into the base to stop them, "There's no end to you all, is there?"

After hitting several others with the flames produced and amplified from his lighter, Kusanagi continued fending off the assault as they continued to flood through the hall. Above him, he could hear the other HOMRA members engaging their enemies and wondered if they were all doing alright.

Meanwhile, Yata pushed through an entire barrage of JUNGLE U-ranks as he kicked his foot down on the floor to propel his board faster. He was on a personal mission given to him by Blake, and also from the Blue King.

"Damn it, Saru," Yata muttered angrily, "You better not fucking die on me!"

 **\- x -**

"They're almost here, Nagare," Yukari turned and looked at his King, noticing the green lightning was now cackling around the younger male, "Shall I go and say hello?"

Nagare nodded, his eyes never leaving the glowing slates, "Yes, please do," Finally, he looked back at Yukari, "Be prepared. The Red King is almost at maximum capacity and is close to releasing, so he may pose a threat should he decide to let loose."

"Don't worry, I'm prepared to take them all on," Yukari smiled and excused himself.

Nagare turned his attention back to the slates and sat back against the plush back of his wheelchair, listening to Kotosaka as he pruned his feathers. On the floor above them, he could hear the commotion of the intruders facing off against the JUNGLE players, not at all concerned for their well-being. If the U-ranks couldn't hold off the Red clan, then he would welcome players that were capable of doing as they were instructed.

To him, they were stepping stones towards his goal. They were merely pawns in his game, or pieces on the chessboard. Nothing really mattered aside from his objective, and now that it was becoming a reality it was all he could focus on. He knew that Yukari and Sukuna were capable of handling themselves, so he wasn't worried that they couldn't return to him with good news. As for the Gray King, Nagare had more confidence in him than he was willing to admit.

Kaori, however, was his wild card.

After having her toss him around like a ragdoll and temporarily strip him of his powers, he had to rethink his plan of action when it came to her. Everything was going according to plan up until Kaen Suoh had been removed from his grasp, so he had to think fast.

Nagare thought he'd run out of options until an answer fell right into his lap.

With a smirk pulling at his lips, he closed his eyes and visualized how everything was playing out at that very moment.

. . .

Tenkei and Munakata continued a harsh exchange of blows as the Gray King continued to push the younger, less experienced King back. It amused him when 'Zenjo the Ogre' didn't come to the Blue King's aid, having repeated twice already that it was not his assignment.

"Reisi, you need to learn to let go," Tenkei smirked as he reloaded the revolving chamber, "What is it exactly that's holding you back? Are you afraid of something?"

Munakata heaved a heavy breath and ignored the blood trickling down the left side of his face, "You misunderstand."

"About what?" He chuckled, "You're young and inexperienced, kid. Take a page from an old man's book and learn to relax," Clicking the gun back together, he took aim and grinned, "Then again, you wouldn't be the Blue King if you weren't all bold propositions that fall only under your kind of way."

Munakata's eyes shifted several times as he tried to pinpoint Tenkei through the thick fog, "Hisui Nagare cannot be allowed to release the slates and bestow all humans with powers. That will cause chaos and the destruction of the civilization that we know of."

"Change is what we need in this world," Tenkei argued, "Without change we cannot evolve as a species."

"This world needs order," Munakata narrowed his eyes, "The late Gold King spent his entire existence trying to maintain the order and power he'd brought to Japan when he turned this into one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world."

Tenkei laughed, "That old coot had his time, and now it's Nagare's turn."

"He will plunge this world into oblivion," Munakata blocked several bullets shot at him before rushing forward with Sirius poised, "I will not allow that to happen!"

"It's out of your hands, kid!" Tenkei smirked and aimed an aura-powered bullet at him.

Suddenly, there were a series of explosions coming from way down beneath them underground that brought a smirk to Munakata's face, "Perhaps not."

. . .

"There's no fucking end to these people!" Blake growled as she aimed her palm towards several approaching U-ranks and shot a wave of golden aura at them, "By the time we've finally made a fucking dent, we'll be exhausted."

Shiro nodded, "That's probably Nagare's goal."

Blake frowned, noticing another battalion of Green's went up in flames as Mikoto continued to push forward, "I don't know what's worse, Shiro. All of these pricks, or the Red King smiling because he's having fun."

"Agreed," He sighed.

. . .

Mikoto smirked as he watched another man fall to his knees as the flames consumed his body. The Red King felt weightless and as if he could destroy anything with a single touch of his finger. The power coursing through him was extraordinary, and it continued to crash against his sanctum in waves. With each life he took, it seemed to intensify the sensations all over his body and drive his desire for more. Not only could feel his own power flaring, but he could also sense the bolster his lover gave him magnifying the effects of this all tenfold. She wasn't stopping him, nor was she activating the cap only she could produce.

Whatever it was that was in there seemed as though they agreed with letting the Red King rampage, only making his smirk widen.

Unfortunately for those around him, the flames had slowly begun to take control of his mind. The control he worked on for years was diminishing and the wall he'd built was foundering. Mikoto Suoh was ever so steadily being driven to madness within his flames that promised an inspiring oblivion after an amazing release of all his rage. It was these signs that so apparent but so invisible to him, bringing him closer to becoming another Kagutsu incident.

However, that didn't matter to him. He was drunk off the power flowing through him, and all he could see was the flames bowing to his very whim as he killed all who crossed his path.

Kaori could feel it within her own body, how dangerously close he was getting to losing himself. She'd tried pleading with the one currently in control of her body to try and stop him, but to no avail.

 _Mikoto..._

 _"It's almost time."_

Kaori's brows furrowed, "So it is."

It was at the final gate that all eyes were on Mikoto, who was staring up towards the roof at a figure perched close to the ceiling.

Yukari smiled, "Well, well, well. How nice of you all to pay us a visit, however it was completely unnecessary."

"So you're the last one I need to get through in order to get to Nagare?" Mikoto smirked and cracked his knuckles, "Good enough."

"Wait!" Shiro stepped forward, "Kuroh is the one who will take Yukari. The rest of us will push forward to the slates."

Mikoto looked at Shiro and then to Kuroh, who was already walking forward as Yukari leapt from his perch and landed across from them. With no objections, Mikoto watched as Kuroh walked forward with Kotowari drawn and poised in front of him. Yukari smirked and unsheathed Ayamachi, he too taking a stance as he commented on how much change he could already see in such a short amount of time.

Briefly, the elder swordsman's eyes drifted to the brunette standing off to the side behind the group, earning a narrow-eyed look from the Red King.

"Get your eyes off my wife," Mikoto said in a low, dangerous voice.

Yukari smiled, "My apologies. It's been such a long time since I've seen her, I just wanted a moment to admire her before everything happens."

Both Kaori and the manifested black aura controlling her narrowed their eyes at Yukari's words, "Before _what_ happens?"

"You'll see," Yukari said softly before looking back to Kuroh, "Now then. Unless you can defeat me, you won't be able to stop me from going after all of the Kings to take them down before they reach Nagare."

Kuroh watched him closely, "I will be your one and only opponent, Yukari. Don't take your eyes off me."

"As you wish."

* * *

 **Again, SO SORRY this is so short. :(**

 **Hopefully I don't suffer from premature writers block for the last few chapters, or else this is going to be a LONGGGGGG few days ahead of me. LOOL**

 **I hope you all had a lovely Christmas Eve and morning, and are enjoying all your dinners and prezzies! :)**

 **I love you all so much and hope you all have a wonderful rest of the evening (it's supper time here where I am) and I shall see you all shortly! Next chapter should be up within the next couple of days!**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	12. CH XI - REVELATIONS

**Well, we're almost to the end of this sequel and I'm actually not looking forward to it! I've been enjoying having you all so much, that I just want to be selfish and keep you all in a nice cozy blanket with me so we can continue to enjoy these adventures together! ;(**

 **MissAnimeMiss – I had a great holiday, thank you! Hope you enjoy this chapter because a lot of shit's about to go down! ;)**

 **Halloween Witch – Hmm, I would love to answer your question but I can't because it would ruin the story. ;)**

 **Akakocat – I watched the last episode with tears in my eyes! Although, I found that I was left hoping more would have happened and slightly disappointed, but it was a decent ending for the series considering the amount of time they had and how many episodes there was. As for the story, I'm so glad you're enjoying this! Hopefully what I do next won't deter you! ;) Also, I'll definitely check out your works! :D**

 **As I forewarned in the last chapter, shits about to go down so be prepared! ;)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 11**

 **Revelations**

* * *

"Captain!"

Munakata turned to look behind him as all of the Scepter 4 special unit ran towards him and Zenjo. His eyes landed on a worried Awashima as she rushed over to him, her eyes flickering to the ground in front of him to see a large puddle of blood as Tenkei Iwafune lay there still with a small grin on his face.

"You won?" Awashima looked up at him urgently, worried about what the condition of his sword would be for having the burden of killing a King added onto him.

Munakata shook his head, "Not quite, but he's down for a while," He shot a glance back towards the fallen Gray King before looking down at Awashima, "They've all arrived and are down there as we speak."

"Should we follow?" Awashima looked at him.

Munakata shook his head, "We will continue to support the entrance and make sure they are able to make a clean escape," He looked back and watched as his other clansmen stood in waiting, "We are Scepter 4, after all. It is our duty to maintain order."

"Sir!"

Awashima smiled, "It's good to have you back, sir."

"I'm no longer your captain, Miss Awashima," Munakata smiled.

"You're still our King," She looked up at him, "And we, your clansmen."

Munakata was about to reply when out from the corner of his eye, Eri came into view with Hana.

"Reisi," Eri looked up at him with a small smile, "I have some good news for you."

"Oh?" He turned to her, reaching out to touch her cheek when she approached him, "What might that be?"

Eri closed her eyes to savor his touch for a moment before looking up at him, "Your position has been reinstated."

"Is that so?" His lips quirked into a grin, "It didn't take him long to figure out he'd made a mistake."

Awashima rolled her eyes, "Sir, you're becoming cocky."

Munakata chuckled, "My apologies."

. . .

"There!"

Blake and Shiro watched as Mikoto used his power to obliterate the final door standing in their way where Nagare and the slates were. Not far behind him stood Kaori, watching his every action intensely.

When the smoke cleared, all eyes landed on the young and talented Green King.

He was standing by himself in front of the slates, free of his binds and the wheelchair he usually used was nowhere in sight, "I would say welcomes are in order, however you are all uninvited guests," His eyes landed on Kaori, "Aside from you, of course."

Kaori narrowed her eyes, as well as Mikoto as he stood in front of her, "I'm your opponent, not her."

"Very well then," Nagare smiled, his eyes closing as he continued to feel amused by the Red King's assured tone, "Let's begin, shall we?"

Mikoto moved first, sending a powerful wave of red energy surging forward towards Nagare.

The Green King grinned in delight, easily bouncing the red bullet off to the side as he began to manifest his own energy. Without warning, he shot forward to challenge the Red King but was bounced back by Kaori, who had rushed to get in front of Mikoto and smirked at him.

"You think he's the only one you'll be fighting?"

Nagare caught his footing and looked at her, "So you've decided to turn on me, have you?"

"I was never with you," Kaori looked at him, "Even when you released me in this body, I was never with you."

The Green King closed his eyes with a smile, "That's too bad," A green current of electricity cackled around him as he unleashed his true power, "I have now been connected to the slates, so you may find it more difficult to use that annoying ability on me."

"Why don't we test that theory out, bastard?" Her black eyes narrowed as her lips pulled into a smirk.

Without warning, Mikoto was the one who shot forward and aimed his fist at Nagare. As his fist collided with the air surrounding Nagare, the power between the two clashed and sent huge shock waves ricocheting back towards the others. Blake and Shiro easily blocked the waves of energy as they crashed against their personal shields while Neko coward behind Shiro to avoid being hit. Kaori on the other hand, stood there and used the black energy to encase her body in a protective circle around her to avoid being damaged from the power.

"It seems you've gotten stronger since the last time you challenged the Gray King," Nagare mused, "However, it's not enough."

Mikoto grunted as Nagare slammed his fist forward, aiming to hit him in the abdomen but was blocked by what looked like black flames. With narrowed eyed, Nagare flung his hand passed the Red King to aim an attack at Kaori but was cut off when Mikoto grabbed him and swung him around so he landed on his back. Nagare exhaled sharply and looked up as Mikoto's fist came crashing down on his jaw, causing his head to sharply jut to the side.

"You kidnapped my wife and child," Mikoto spoke dangerously low and in a cold tone, his glowing red eyes narrowed sharply at the man beneath him, "And you think I'll stand by and let you hurt her? Think again. I'm your only opponent here, Nagare."

Nagare couldn't brace himself as Mikoto mercilessly slammed his fist down against his face again. There was a sickening crack that followed the contact, when Mikoto was shot backwards as Nagare exerted some of his power to knock the Red King back a few meters away. Having recovered quickly, Mikoto shot forward as Nagare rose to his feet. He met Mikoto's blows again and managed to block the aggressive assault, halting Mikoto's movement as he gripped his fists in his own hands. The two stood there at a deadlock, both trembling as they fought to gain the upper hand.

"Give it up, Red King," Nagare looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes, "You won't win this."

Mikoto smirked, "You keep telling yourself that," It took Nagare off guard when Mikoto pulled back, bringing the Green King forward to deliver a swift blow to the head with his own forehead, "I've been waiting a hell of a long time for this moment, so try to keep it entertaining for me."

Nagare was thrown back towards the wall across the room as Mikoto cracked his knuckles before giving himself a relieving pop when he gave his arms a quick stretch. Before he could go meet the Green King with another round of harsh blows, a hand caught his arm and forced him to look back.

Kaori was struggling as she gripped his arm, "Mikoto," His eyes narrowed as he looked to see one of her own orbs was now chocolate brown, "Don't overextend."

"I won't," He assured, knowing the few seconds Kaori managed to pull through was the only reprieve he would get until this was all settled.

Blake rushed forward and looked at Mikoto, "We're going to start, so if you keep him busy we'll do what we need to do," She looked at Mikoto, "We're going to destroy the slates, so get all that pent up rage out now because once Shiro goes into that phase, it's all going to be gone."

Mikoto narrowed his eyes but nodded nonetheless, letting his feet move on their own as he walked across the room towards Nagare.

"No," Kaori narrowed her eyes, "You're not allowed to destroy those slates until I have been granted freedom. If you do that, I'll be stuck in this body!"

Blake frowned, "Well, that was nice of you to tell us before all of this!"

Shiro walked forward, "What is it you need to do?"

"I want to kill Nagare," A shudder wracked down her body, causing Shiro and Blake to narrow their eyes at him, "I also want the Red King to stick his hand through my chest~"

Blake went wide eye, "It's you."

Kaori's lips pulled into a cruel smirk, "I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner," The voice was chipper but malicious, "Long time no see, Shiro."

"How long have you been in her body, Colorless King?" Shiro narrowed his eyes, "Hiding away from us until this moment?"

Kaori giggled, "I've been hiding in her body for only a short period of time, as her current invader is rather pushy and aggressive," She began walking towards the two warring Kings, "Since I couldn't cause the fuss in Red clan that I had been instructed to do, I figured this is the only other way to bring that pompous bastard down."

Blake's eyes went wide, "You want Mikoto to kill you so he takes on the burden of killing a King," She shot forward, "Like hell I'll let you do that!"

Kaori smirked and shot forward before Blake could reach her, rushing towards the battle as Mikoto and Nagare exchanged several shots of the others aura. A gleeful expression crossed Kaori's features as she landed smack-dab in the middle, looking towards the Red King as he rushed forward to deliver a powerful hit to Nagare.

Before he could stop himself, Mikoto's fist collided with Kaori's body as his aura tore through her chest cavity.

 _Mikoto..._

. . .

 _"It's been a long time since I've seen you come back to the bar this mad, love," Kaori frowned and sat beside Mikoto, rubbing his arm gently in a comforting manner as he remained still to allow his anger to subside, "Want to talk about it?"_

 _Mikoto looked at her, reaching up and stroke her cheek with the tips of his fingers, "He killed his wife, Kaori," She tensed at his words, "That bastard took pleasure in killing his wife after he raped her."_

 _"Mikoto..." She leaned forward, pressing her forehead in the junction of his neck and sighed deeply._

 _The Red King pulled her close, "I enjoyed every minute of it," He closed his eyes, replaying what had just happened as he watched the man's body burn into nothing, "I thought about you at that moment and almost lost myself."_

 _"That's different," She pulled away only to look up at him, "You'd never lay a hand on me that way."_

 _He shook his head, "Not by my hands, Kaori," He leaned down to press his forehead against her own, "I don't know what I'd do if you were taken and I found you the way we found that woman."_

 _"Don't think about that, Mikoto," She reached up to cup his cheek gently in her hands, "Why don't I go make you some tea and then I'll go make you a hot bath?"_

 _"Not right now," He said quietly, "I just want to hold you for a little while longer."_

. . .

"Kyra!" Reina panicked as she watched Kaen's body glow in that black casing they'd been told about when it had happened to Kaori, "Is this a bad sign?"

Kyra rushed over and frowned, "What the hell is happening?"

Rin and Kian both watched and exchanged worried glances, "Do you think something happened to Kaori?"

"I hope not," Kyra bit her lip, "If something did, we're all in trouble if Shiro and Blake can't get Mikoto under control. I hope Tatara is there to talk some sense into him, too..."

"Munakata's there," Keirsten looked at the girls, "I just got a text from Eri saying that he's going to go down and join the rest of the Kings to see what's going on."

Kyra looked at her, "He's there?"

"Mm," Keirsten frowned, "So is the Colorless King."

"What?!" Reina and Kyra yelled, "That prick, he was hiding this entire time waiting for an opportunity like this."

"Guys!" Meira came rushing down the stairs, "Its Anna! She's unconscious!"

. . .

"Sukuna," Yukari looked around as he walked the halls where the Red clan had already been down and destroyed, "Are you down here?"

There was a grunt followed by a painful yelp as Yukari followed the sound and soon found himself standing directly above the young teen, "Those bastards..."

"It's over, Sukuna," Yukari sighed and watched him, still holding his own injury as he watched Sukuna slowly push himself to his feet, "They've won."

Sukuna glared, "How can you say that when our King is down there fighting with them all right now?!"

Yukari frowned, "We need to get out of here," He looked up and noticed the ceiling was trembling under the force of the Kings down below, "Tenkei is dead."

"What?!" Sukuna yelled, outraged.

Yukari looked down at him not willing to tell him he'd met with Tenkei and was instructed to get everyone out, "We need to tend to our wounds and mourn our Kings," His tone was stern and left no room for argument, "Now, Sukuna."

. . .

Mikoto stared down as the color from Kaori's cheeks slowly faded to a pale, lifeless color. Her eyes, now void of the intruder's colors were hollow and brown. She felt heavy against him, and could feel the strength holding her body up failing as she began to fall forward. When it finally occurred to him that the only thing holding her body up was his arm still embedded in her body, he felt a sickening shudder rush down his form and immediately ripped his hand from the inside of her chest.

"Mikoto!" Blake and Shiro watched as he reached forward to catch Kaori before she hit the ground, "Damn it..."

His body was still as he held her cooling form in his arms, his eyes wide and filled with guilt as he stared down at her, "Kaori..." His hands closed around the fabric of her clothing as he fought to keep himself grounded.

Nagare stood still, watching as Mikoto held his fallen wife and felt a pang in his chest at the sight. His eyes wandered over to the other two Kings, noticing Munakata had also joined the fray and was staring at the scene with wide eyes.

It was the very first time anyone had seen the Red King shed a tear, as they watched him curl downward towards Kaori's form as he held her tightly against his chest. He knew he was supposed to be the one to end their lives in order to finally release the black power inside of her, but it still didn't make it any easier after the deed had been expectantly completed. It was like his dream where he watched his wife lose all the life in her body, only this time the pain was a lot worse than he could have imagined.

"This is bad," Blake bit her bottom lip, "He killed a King and he put down whatever that thing inside of Kaori was..." She looked at Shiro, "What's going to happen now?"

They all watched as what looked like red electricity cackled around him, but he paid no attention to it as he mourned the loss of his lover.

Wasn't she supposed to wake up now? None of this had gone according to plan, and now he was left with an empty shell that he would eventually have to discard.

He'd decided that he would burn her. He'd burn her body inside a casket and leave no traces of her ever being there.

It would be the single most difficult thing he'd ever do in his life, but it had to be him.

Several of the Red clan members had felt the change in their own power, but with Tatara being the closest he ran towards the area he knew they'd all be and went wide eyed at the scene.

"King," Tatara frowned and rushed forward, but was caught by Kuroh, who had recently joined the small group and was watching the scene before him, "King! Kaori!"

Mikoto looked over at him with sorrowful eyes, "Get the others out of here, Tatara."

"No," He shook his head and struggled against Kuroh's hold, "She said she needed to go by your hands and that's what happened! She'll be alright!"

The Red King slowly shook his head, "No, she's not... She's gone."

Tatara felt his heart stop as he watched his King close his eyes, "Mikoto! Watch out!"

Blake and Shiro rushed forward to try and stop her while Tatara managed to break free from Kuroh's grasp, but it was too late.

With a twisted smirk, Kaori's arm shot up and pierced through the left side of Mikoto's collar bone, having been pulled away just in time before she could do any major damage.

It was Nagare that intervened.

"You prick," She spat, looking back at him, "You really want this to be your turn? Fine by me," She was on her feet in seconds and ruthlessly attacked Nagare, who managed to dodge and block all of her ferocious swings aimed to put him down.

Blake ran over to Mikoto and kneeled down beside him as Tatara held Mikoto in a sitting position, "We need to get him out of here," She looked at Tatara, "Can you do that?"

Mikoto grunted and narrowed his eyes towards his wife and Nagare, "I want that thing out of her body, _now_."

"Do it," Tatara looked at Blake, "Do it and get it over with."

Blake frowned, "If I kill her, you know what will happen."

"It doesn't matter at this point," Mikoto's voice was weary but strained, "She's not my wife anymore, so what does it matter if she forgets everything."

That broke Blake's heart, "Mikoto," With a sigh she slowly rose to her feet, "If I do this, you can't hate me."

"I won't," He paused his words to spit out a large amount of blood that had pooled in his mouth, "We can't leave her like this."

Shiro stood behind them as he activated his sanctum, pushing the limits of his Weissman level to its breaking point. Nagare looked over to him sharply and protested, but he could do nothing as the ceiling exploded to allow the sky to be viewed from the very bottom of his underground base.

Hovering above them was the Silver King's sword of Damocles in its deteriorated state, leaving all of the jewels representing all of the other six Kings to slowly fade as the blade cracked beyond repair.

Nagare's body was engulfed in a green current as he surged forward, attempting to stop the Silver King but was cut off when Kaori lunged at him and caught him by the waist. Using the black energy of her body, she consumed the Green King's energy and smirked as the two hit the ground with an audible thud.

"This is it!" Kuroh held Neko back, protecting her as they watched the silver Sword of Damocles come crashing down towards them.

Nagare struggled against Kaori and tried relentlessly to get to Shiro but it was too late. He could only watch as the sword pierced the slates, immediately cancelling each other out and causing a beam of blinding light to rise to the sky towards all of the other swords. The minute the light touched them, the Gold, Red and Green swords began to disappear one by one.

"It's over," Shiro fell back as Neko caught him, cradling him against her chest, "Finally."

Nagare and Kaori slowly pushed themselves up as they watched the light to the slates dissipate, her eyes slowly closing as she looked calm, serene even.

The Green King smiled small, "Despite this falling out of my favor, I feel... Satisfied. Happy, even."

His eyes landed on Kaori, who seemed to be glowing as she smiled to herself. There was a moment, only briefly, that the two looked at one another before the light left Nagare's eyes and he finally fell forward for the final time.

Kaori watched him, her now chocolate eyes filling with tears as she reached up to brush her knuckles under her eyes, "Why am I crying?"

Munakata walked over to Blake and looked down at her, "So, this is it?"

"Yeah," She sighed deeply, "It's over."

Off to the side, Tatara helped Mikoto up to his feet with one of his arms over his shoulders and helped him as they made their way over to Kaori. Amber eyes watched as she pushed herself up off the floor and onto her knees, taking in the sights.

"Kaori?" Tatara tentatively called out, "Are you alright?"

Kaori turned around and looked back at the two, "Hello?" She looked at Tatara and then Mikoto, "You're injured?"

Before she rose to her feet, she collapsed from exhaustion as Mikoto broke free from Tatara and caught her. Blake and Munakata made their way over and looked at them.

"We need to leave before this place collapses," Blake sighed, looking back at Shiro as Kuroh hoisted him up into his arms, "You good?"

He nodded and held up his hand, sending the lilac colored hand shooting up to grab onto a support beam as Neko grabbed onto his neck, "I'll get these two out, will you all be good on your own?"

"We will," Blake waved him off, "Just get Shiro and Neko to safety."

Kuroh smiled and pulled against his power, sending the three up into the air as they made their way up the giant hole leading to the top.

"Alright," Blake looked down at Kaori, "Time to get you home."

Kaori looked at her, "Home?"

Munakata's eyes narrowed, "She's lost her memory?"

"Is appears so," Tatara frowned, "But, King was the one who did it?"

Blake sighed, "We need to deal with this after," She looked at Mikoto, "You need to get your wound taken care of, and Kaori needs to be seen by a doctor."

"You're right, you need to all leave," Tenkei's voice drew all their attention as he slowly made his way over to Nagare's still form, his hand cradling his injured side, "I've issued our clan to detonate bombs around the facility in a matter of minutes so I'd get out now."

Blake looked over at him and frowned, "What about you?"

"I'll be staying here," Tenkei chuckled before leaning down to pick up Nagare's body, "I think this old body of mine has lived long enough. I've seen my fair share of things to know when it's time to throw in the towel."

Mikoto stood up as he held Kaori to his chest, not caring if his wound was bleeding profusely while Tatara offered to help him. Blake walked over to them and followed as they made their way to the exit while Munakata cast the Gray King a long look before turning around, following everyone as they all made their way to the surface.

Tenkei watched them and sighed with a smile, "Look at them, Nagare," He looked at the smiling face of his surrogate son, "Things may not have gone the way you wanted, but it's safe to say that all ended up well in the end."

As the sound of explosions began to set off, Tenkei closed his eyes and relaxed for the first time in years as the building began to fall around him.

 **\- x -**

"So, what did the doctor say?" Reina asked urgently, biting her bottom lip as Blake entered the room.

Blake looked at everyone, "Well, the hole in her chest has healed but it left a scar in between her breasts that will be there permanently. As for her memory loss, they couldn't find anything neurologically wrong with her," She looked over to Mikoto, who sat silently after being released when the nurses stitched and bandaged his collarbone, "He's prescribing her some sort of stimulant and has labeled this as a case of amnesia. Anything we can do to try and jump-start her memory is highly recommended."

Kyra looked up, "What about Anna?"

"Anna is alright," Blake smiled, "She's awake and has been asking how everything went. What about Kaen? Kyra told me that Kaen was affected by the black flames when Kaori went down?"

Meira looked at her, "The black disappeared shortly after it manifested," She looked down at the twins, "Do you think it's connected to her?"

"Maybe that's why she woke up?" Kyra asked, "She wanted to see Kaen for a reason, so maybe she was using the black power inside of him as a way to come back?"

"That's a possibility," Blake said, "Either way, we should all be thankful that everyone is alright."

"Agreed," Tatara smiled.

"When do we get to see her?" Kyra frowned, "Both of them."

Blake turned to Kyra, "Anna will be released as soon as the nurse gets to her room to unhook her IV and as for Kaori, I can't be sure. She's apparently got a guest right now, so I don't know when the doctor will allow any of us in."

"A guest?" Munakata asked.

Eri and Awashima looked over at her as she shrugged, "He wouldn't tell me who it was, only that it was someone she knew."

Mikoto's eyes narrowed as he looked over at her, "Can't you find out?"

Blake looked at him, "I'll do what I can."

. . .

Meanwhile, in a room off to the far side of the hospital much farther than where the clans were waiting, Kaori sat up against her pillows while she watched two individuals argue over something that had nothing to do with her.

"Excuse me, but," Kaori pulled their attention away from their argument to her, "Why are you two arguing over a video game?"

Sukuna looked at her and frowned, "You don't remember?!"

"Not exactly, no," She blinked, "What am I supposed to remember?"

Yukari looked at Sukuna, "She's not going to remember everything from before without some encouragement, Sukuna. You'll have to be a little more patient and understanding."

"Fine," Sukuna pouted, "So when do you get released?"

Kaori looked at them and smiled, "In three days, but I don't know exactly know where I'm going to go."

"You'll be coming with us," Yukari returned her smile, "So we can take care of you like we did once before. It was a final request from Tenkei."

Kaori frowned slightly, "Final request? As in, a final wish before death?"

"Unfortunately," He nodded, sitting down at her bedside, "He was quite fond of you when you were with us, so he asked for Sukuna and I to make sure you were alright and to stay with you until you don't need us anymore."

She reached forward and tentatively touched his arm, "Thank you."

Sukuna walked over and stood off to the side, "We missed you when you went away."

"Sukuna," Yukari grinned, "Listen to you being all sentimental."

The boy's cheeks flushed, "Yeah, yeah!" He ignored Yukari and took a step closer, "What I meant to say was–"

"You can sit up here with me if you'd like," Kaori smiled, opening one of her arms to invite the young teen to sit with her, "Don't be shy."

Sukuna stared at her for a moment before hesitantly joining her, crawling up beside her and leaned against her, "Don't you dare say a word, Yukari..." He glared over at the grinning male, pointing a accusatory finger towards him.

"I wasn't going to say a word," Yukari sat back with his arms crossed over his chest.

Kaori smiled softly and held Sukuna to her, enjoying the comfort of holding the young boy so close to her as if she was meant to hold a child.

"You really do look beautiful when you're happy," Yukari smiled watching her, not noticing that Sukuna was falling asleep when a knock on the door pulled his attention away, "Yes?"

Kaori and Yukari both went slightly wide eyed when Blake walked in with a curious looking Anna, "Hello?"

"So it was you two that came in," Blake narrowed her eyes slightly, "Can I have a moment alone with Kaori, please?"

Yukari stood up and stepped to the side to block Kaori from Blake's view, "I'm sorry, but I'm not going to allow that."

"Excuse me?" Blake glared, "My family owns and runs this hospital. Don't think that I won't have you removed if you don't let me see one of my close friends."

"You're threatening me?"

"I am."

Kaori frowned, "Can we please not fight," They both turned to her, "Yukari, it'll just take a moment."

"Alright," The look she was currently giving him made him give in, as he walked over and picked a sleeping Sukuna up from her side and carried him outside of the room only after exchanging warning looks with the former Gold King, "I'll just be outside if you need me, Kaori."

She smiled and nodded, waiting as the door closed before looking at Blake and Anna, "How may I help you?"

"This lovely little lady here wanted to come and see you," Blake smiled at her, "Her name is Anna Kushina. You two knew each other very well before you lost your memory."

Kaori blinked and looked at the beautiful young girl, "Really?" She smiled and pat the spot beside her opposite to where Sukuna was sitting.

Anna smiled brightly and made her way over, climbing up to sit beside her and took her hand as she usually did, "Are you alright?"

"I think I am," Kaori returned her smile and tilted her head slightly, "How about you? You're in a hospital gown so did something happen to you?"

"I passed out," She answered, "But I'm better now!"

Kaori smiled softly, "That's good."

Blake walked over and sat down on the chair beside he bedside, "How do you feel, Kaori?"

"Well, I wish I could put faces and names together," Kaori sighed, absentmindedly running her fingers through Anna's long silvery strands, "I keep feeling like I'm missing something it's driving me insane."

"Unfortunately it's going to be like that for a while," Blake frowned, "I wish there was something we could do for you."

Kaori looked at her and offered her a calm smile, "Its fine. Maybe this happened for a reason," She sat back and sighed contently when Anna leaned against her and laid her head against her shoulder, "The doctor told me that a woman named Blake Tadashi was setting me up in my new living arrangements after I'm released. Is that you?"

Blake nodded, "Yes, ma'am! I figured having some time to yourself in an environment that was calmer and quiet compared to where you would have been going," She smiled, "I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all. In fact, that's very kind of you," Kaori looked at her, "Where was I supposed to go?"

 _With your husband and family back to HOMRA_... "Well, you were supposed to go with close family friends, but they decided that giving you some space would be more suitable at this point in time," Blake glanced at Anna as crimson eyes watched her closely, "They asked if they would be able to visit often, though."

Kaori nodded, "Of course. Can you tell me some of their names?"

"Maybe another time," Blake and Kaori both looked over to see Yukari entering the room, "I'm sorry but, your visit has to come to end now. The doctor will be here shortly."

Blake narrowed her eyes at him but stood up nonetheless, deciding she was going to make a personal visit with Kaori's physician after he'd met with her, "Fine," She looked at Anna, "Come on Anna, let's go back to the others."

Kaori smiled small as she let Anna go, watching as she scooted herself off the bed and went over to Blake. There was a moment where she looked back at Kaori and gave her a longing, pained look before taking Blake's hand and walking out of the room with her.

Yukari watched and gave Kaori a sympathetic smile, "I'll explain that all to you after, I promise."

She nodded, "Thank you, Yukari."

"Of course," He said smiling, leaving her alone for the time being as the doctor walked in to do another examination.

In the hall, Yukari and Blake stood facing one another as Sukuna and Anna stood awkward behind the two adults looking at one another.

"I don't know what it is you think you're doing, but you need to lay off," Blake narrowed her eyes at the swordsman.

Yukari met her gaze with his own, "It was a final request from Tenkei that I be her guardian until she no longer needed my help, so I will be there by her side until the day she remembers who she really is."

"Your assistance isn't necessary," Blake bit back.

"I believe it is," Yukari replied right away.

Sukuna glared up at Blake, "You know nothing about what she was like when she was with us, so how would you know what she needs or what she doesn't need?!"

"She's married to the Red King," Blake glared back, "She _wasn't_ married to Nagare, so why are you both so attached to her? She's not your Queen."

Yukari looked down at her, "She could have easily become one of us if you'd of left her in our care for just a little while longer," Blake flashed him an angry glare, "However, I know that we never would have truly won her over. She's in love with him and once she remembers that, Sukuna and I will back off gracefully."

"So what you're saying is, that you're going to protect her and nurture her until she regains her memory all because the Gray King asked you to?" Blake's brow rose, "What's in it for you?"

His brow rose, "Nothing."

"I see," Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at Sukuna, "And you?"

He huffed and crossed his arms, "She was like a mother figure to me."

Anna looked at him, "She _is_ my mother," Blake and Yukari both looked at her slightly shocked that she spoke, "You can't take her away."

"Excuse me," The doctor walked out of the room and looked at Blake, "All is good and she'll be ready to leave ahead of schedule."

Blake looked at him and smiled, "Everything is ready for her whenever you're releasing her. Shiro and I are personally escorting her there," Her eyes flashed to Yukari, "When are you discharging her?"

"Tomorrow morning," He signed the paper on his clipboard and handed it to one of the nurses that entered Kaori's room, "I'll need a family member or husband to sign her release forms."

Blake nodded, "When you go back to the waiting room with the entire crew, ask for Mikoto Suoh. He's Kaori's husband."

"Thank you, Blake," The doctor smiled and excused himself to go and talk to Mikoto.

Yukari looked at her, "Perhaps we can come to an agreement."

"Oh?" Her brow rose.

* * *

 **Welp, my computer died and the Word document wouldn't retrieve what had auto-saved, so then I had to re-type everything. Boo!**

 **Either way, I rolled the dice with this one and decided to just go with it. I hope it met expectations! :D**

 **Aside from that, what didja all think of that sneaky Colorless King? I figured most of you would figure it out even before I really made a huge reference to him, but maybe, JUST MAYBE I managed to shock one of you! Who knows? ;)**

 **Only two chapters left, so I will most likely post them one after the other. :)**

 **Also, I'll be updating Pieces of Me and Irreversible shortly!**

 **I love you all sooooo much! :D**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	13. CH XII - RETROSPECT (PT I)

**Well, now that the cat's out of the bag! LOOL**

 **This chapter was kind of difficult for me to write in regards to Mikoto, because it's very hard for me to portray him as a strong man while in such a vulnerable state. I hope he won't be too out of character!**

 **MissAnimeMiss – I would love to keep it going forever but unfortunately I'd run out of ideas eventually! ;(**

 **Halloween Witch – I had a feeling you knew. ;) As for the stubborn former Green clan duo, there's a reason why I chose to have them be a part of this final stage. Just wait and see! :D**

 **Mrs.1DJessup – Good screaming, I hope? :o**

 **Warning, warning! Might tug at your feels a bit as it did mine while I typed it! :D**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 12**

 **Retrospect – Part I**

* * *

Seven weeks had passed since the entire commotion with the Green clan and the war for the slates. People had moved on and it had become an almost distant memory for some, but to others it was a brutal reminder of what was waiting for them on the other side of a simple wall.

Many times during those weeks, Mikoto found himself standing in front of the oriental, dojo style home Blake had placed Kaori and her two _guardians_ in while she recovered. During those brief visits, he would close his eyes and visualize her smiling face as she tended to the garden that had already been there. He remembered her always going on about how she wanted to grow and nurse her own flowers someday, so he was thankful that Blake had given her the chance to do so.

What hurt the most other than not being able to reach out to her was the fact the enemy clansman he'd tried so hard to pull her away from were the ones taking care of her. It didn't matter if they had apologized for following their King's orders and for the crimes against the Red clan that had been committed. He didn't want them close to her, but this time he had absolutely no say in the matter.

It enraged him at first; the thought of Yukari being so close to his lover and being the one who would gain her smiles instead of him.

Blake argued with him for hours on the matter, telling him that they had gotten the closest to unlocking a few hidden memories and that it would be good if she'd had consistency. She put an end to his protests after that, choosing to ignore the threats and to pass messages through the bartender rather than deal with Mikoto Suoh's temper.

During the weeks passing by, Kaen and Alani visited with Anna and Blake. It was relieving to see Kaori and her children reunited finally, despite the fact she didn't remember being their mother. It bothered Anna at first, not being able to address her as she normally would but she knew it would take time.

It got a lot more interesting when members of the Red clan would follow Blake in and reintroduce themselves to their clan's Queen. She would smile brightly at them and shake their hands eagerly. Often times one or two of them would have to excuse themselves in their moment of weakness, while the others would continue to treat her as if she hadn't forgotten a thing.

You could always tell when her mind went foggy or a suppressed memory was trying to release itself. Her brows would knit together and her face would scrunch in pain, but she played it off as though she were going to sneeze or cough.

During one of the visits with Tatara and Kyra, they'd managed to jump-start her to the point where she knew what they were talking about when the two mentioned the beach. It had been the closest sign of hope they'd all seen in such a long time, meaning they were slowly but surely making progress.

"You look very lovely today, Kaori," Yukari smiled as she entered the kitchen, "I've made some tea. Would you like some?"

She nodded and watched as he poured her a glass, "Yukari?"

"Yes?"

Rubbing her arm gently, she looked towards the window with a lost expression, "I had a dream last night..."

"Oh?" He turned to her with curious eyes, "What about?"

"There's a man that's always in my dreams, but usually he disappears," Kaori started slowly, "But last night, he didn't."

Yukari nodded and motioned for her to sit at the table, joining her with two cups of tea in his hand, "Tell me about it?"

Kaori thanked him and looked down at her cup, "I was at the beach surrounded by those people that Blake brought with her," Her eyes closed and she recalled the images in her mind, "They're all so happy to be near the water and when I look away from them, I see him. The man in my dreams has such beautiful amber eyes," She looked at him, "He looks at me as though I'm..."

Yukari frowned when she leaned forward to rest her head in her hand, "Take it slow, Kaori," He reached over and rubbed her arm gently in a soothing manner, "It takes time for these things to become clear."

"So you're saying my dream was a memory?" She looked at him through thick brunette bangs, "I've never seen him before?"

The elder of the two offered a sympathetic smile, "You will meet him soon enough, my dear Kaori."

She nodded slowly and relaxed, proceeding to drink her tea with a forlorn expression on her face.

. . .

Later that day, Yukari leaned against the frame to the sliding door leading to the back gardens where Kaori was preoccupying herself. He had his phone in hand and contemplated whether or not to call the Red King himself, or to go through Blake and relay what he'd been told during their tea.

The decision was made for him when the screen lit up and Kusanagi's name popped up, "Ah, so it's him," Lifting the device to his ear, Yukari spoke first, "Mister Kusanagi, a pleasure to hear from you."

 _"How is she today?"_

Yukari watched her and noticed the smile was still absent from her lips, "She's doing alright. There was a moment earlier today where she may have been recalling a memory that she thought was a dream. Ever since then, she's been lost in her own little world."

 _"I see... So would today be a bad day to bring him over?"_

"I can't answer that truthfully," Yukari frowned, "I think she keeps seeing him in her dreams, but it's confusing her because she doesn't know who he is."

There was a pause on the line before he heard Kusanagi sigh.

 _"We can't avoid their meeting for much longer, so we either do it now or wait until she's in good spirits again."_

"I don't think bringing him here today would be a bad idea," Yukari admitted, "However, keeping it short and sweet may be better."

 _"Mm,"_ Kusanagi agreed, _"We'll be there in about an hour. Where is she now?"_

"In the garden, although she's not enjoying herself like she normally does."

After saying their goodbyes, Yukari walked over and offered to help Kaori with what she was currently tending to. Normally, his job was to trim the bushes and to help her with the vegetables they'd successfully planted or to continue with where they'd left off with the new patch of flowers they'd begun to grow. Today, he insisted on helping her with what she was doing and offered her a smile.

Off to the side, Sukuna watched them for a brief moment before returning to his hand-held game.

"We're having guests today," Yukari looked at her, "I hope you don't mind."

Kaori looked at him and frowned slightly, "Who?"

"Someone you haven't met yet," He picked up a couple of empty pots and filled them with soil before embedding a few seeds in the middle, "He's someone who has been waiting a very long time to see you."

She looked down at herself, "Who is he?"

"It's not my place to say," Yukari answered truthfully, "However, I feel it will be a very big jump into the right direction when you meet with him. All I can tell you, is that he's very important to you."

Kaori looked up at him, "He is?"

"Mm," He smiled and reached over to stroke her cheek, "Put a smile on that beautiful face of yours, Kaori. You need to be happy."

She slowly let a small smile pull at her lips, which seemed to satisfy Yukari enough for him to continue his work.

. . .

"Ready?" Kusanagi looked back at Mikoto, who was tense and not at all ready for what was about to happen, "You need this, Mikoto. You _both_ need this."

Mikoto narrowed his eyes, "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

"Alright," He turned and walked up to the doorbell, mildly surprised when Sukuna opened the door behind his finger could connect to the button, "Hello, Sukuna."

"Hn," He glared up at them and moved aside, "They're still outback in the garden, but they're expecting you."

Kusanagi nodded and lead Mikoto inside, followed by Tatara and Kyra who both held one of the Suoh twins in their arms. Sukuna followed them to the back and watched as Kusanagi opened the sliding door, being the first to enter the back area to announce their arrival.

Anna, who had silently followed them in, looked over to him and frowned slightly when Sukuna muttered something and left them abruptly.

"Hello, Kusanagi!" Yukari stood up and rubbed his hands onto the loose pants he'd been wearing.

Kusanagi waved and looked at Kaori, "Look at you," He chuckled, "Last time I don't think you were covered in this much soil."

"Well, Yukari and I kind of started digging some more plots for flowers and got a little carried away," She giggled and stood up, doing her best to dust herself off, "How are you today?"

"I'm good," He smiled and walked down the steps, "I brought Tatara, Kyra and the kids with me today."

Kaori's expression seemed to brighten at that, "Really?" She looked up when suddenly her eyes landed on a tall, visibly tense male with fiery red hair, "..."

Their eyes met and for the first time, Kaori felt her entire body shudder. It hadn't been like all of the other times when she was introduced to the people Yukari or Blake would bring to her. This was something more raw and real, like she'd been filled with something that completely lifted her from the ground and into the air.

She took a shaky step forward but dared not make another move in fear that she may topple over, "Kusanagi," She looked at him with wide eyes, "Who is that?"

"That, my dear Kaori," He turned around and watched as Tatara gave Mikoto a hard shove forward so he was no longer hidden in the shadows of the doorway, "Is Mikoto Suoh."

"Mikoto Suoh," She said his name slow and pronounced every syllable, feeling her temple jolt in slight pain as she tried to recall why his name sounded so familiar, "I..."

Yukari walked over and kept a safe distance as Mikoto reluctantly walked down the steps towards her, his eyes never leaving her face even when she grimaced in pain.

"Kaori," His voice was low, gruff and full of emotion, "Look at me."

Slowly, her chocolate eyes lifted and met his own amber ones.

 _Those eyes._

"You..."

Mikoto braced himself, waiting for her to say something, anything that may resemble acknowledgement that she knew who he was. He willed his hands to remain clenched in his pockets, knowing if he'd pull them out that she would be trapped in his arms either by her own will or with his alone.

Kusanagi watched and glanced over to Tatara and Kyra, who still held the kids and made sure Anna stayed back while Yukari watched the two lovers intensely.

At first he'd thought this meeting was a good idea, but watching her entire body shake as she stared up at him was making him feel as though he'd made a mistake.

In a flash of red, Kaori closed her eyes and watched her mind replay a vivid, horrifying scene as the man in front of her pierced her chest with a flaming fist.

Mikoto flinched when Kaori's hands rapidly grabbed her hair and a painful cry escaped her lips. The minute his hands were pulled from his pockets and he tried to reach for her, she looked up at him horrified and fell back crying that she needed to get away.

Kusanagi grabbed Mikoto and forced him to stand still as Yukari kneeled down behind Kaori, "Shh, you're alright," He looked up at Kusanagi, "Maybe that's enough for today."

Kaori's eyes were wide and filled with tears as she stared up at Mikoto, "G-Get away from me."

In that moment, Mikoto felt his heart shatter and Kusanagi almost had to drag his body from the back area to leave Yukari and Kaori alone while the older of the two tried to calm her down.

"Mikoto," Tatara handed Kaen to Anna and rushed to his side, noticing all of the fight had disappeared and that his body was slack, "King!"

Kusanagi looked at him, "It's not going to help if you yell at him," He sighed and pulled one of Mikoto's arms over his shoulders, "Grab the other arm and we'll get him out of here."

Tatara nodded and quickly mirrored Kusanagi, helping him carry their King to the van that was waiting for them.

Anna looked back at the scene sadly and watched as Kaori cried hard against Yukari's shoulder. It had been the very first time that she'd ever seen her mother figure so broken or fragile, that it hurt her to walk away and follow her clan out the door.

"Fuck," Kusanagi sighed, leaning against the side of the vehicle after successfully stuffing Mikoto's heavy form into the back, "Out of all the reactions we could have anticipated, that wasn't what I was hoping for."

"None of us were," Tatara frowned.

"She has no reason to be that afraid of him," Kyra sighed, wiping a tear that was sliding down her cheek away, "Why would she react like that?"

Tatara ran his fingers through his hair, "Maybe she remembers when the Colorless King was in her body and jumped in front of an attack meant for Nagare."

"What do you mean?" Kusanagi asked, alarmed.

"During the fight between King and Nagare, Kaori rushed forward and got caught in the middle of it all. Blake told me it was the Colorless King that was behind it," He looked at Kusanagi, "When I got there, King was holding her and she wasn't moving. He'd pierced her right through the chest and out the back."

Kusanagi bit his bottom lip as Kyra stared wide eyed, "What?"

"That explains why Mikoto is depressed and won't join any of the fights now," Kusanagi sighed deeply, "For fuck sakes, why this of all things?"

 **\- x -**

Yukari knocked on the door to Kaori's room with a frown, "Kaori, please come out," When he heard no response, he sighed softly, "Will you allow me to come in?"

"No," Came the muffled reply, "I want to be alone."

Knowing he couldn't change her mind, he nodded slowly and resigned himself to sitting down on the floor. He wouldn't leave her completely alone even if he couldn't sit in there with her, but he wouldn't invade her privacy or disrespect her wishes either.

Sukuna had also tried to coax her out of her room for a few hours, but even he couldn't make her budge.

"She's been in there for three days," Yukari ran a hand down his face, "She hasn't eaten since that morning."

Sukuna frowned and placed a hand against the door, "Did she say why?"

"No, but I have a feeling it has something to do with seeing Mikoto," Yukari closed his eyes, "I've never seen someone so petrified in all of my life, Sukuna. She was absolutely petrified of him."

He looked down at Yukari, "Do you think she's got someone else twisted in her mind? Blake said that could happen."

"I don't know," Yukari answered honestly.

Sukuna looked at the door frowning and leaned against it, "Kaori, can I come in?"

When there was no sound, he sighed and let his hands drop as his forehead pressed against the door.

. . .

"She's still in there?" Kyra asked, standing in front of the door after receiving a worried call from Yukari.

He nodded, "Three days and I've not heard a peep from her ever since she went in there."

Kyra bit her bottom lip, wondering what she was about to walk into as she gripped the door and slowly began to slide it open. When she was met with no resistance, she slid it open enough so that she could sneak in and closed it behind her.

"They've sent you in here to check on me?" Kaori's voice was hoarse, as though she'd been crying for hours.

"Well, they were hoping I would be able to coax you into a warm bath and perhaps having something to eat," Kyra smiled small, walking over and sitting down on the edge of her bed, "Blake was busy so I came instead. I hope you don't mind."

Kaori gave her a very small smile, "It's okay."

Kyra smiled back and gently took her hand, "So, what do you say?"

Kori nodded and allowed Kyra to help her out of bed and to the bathroom, where she prepared her a hot bath and made sure she was settled in before she left her alone.

"She's really weak," Kyra looked at Yukari, "Can you make her some soup? I'm going to go back in and see if I can talk to her."

Yukari nodded, "Leave it to me," He motioned for Sukuna to follow after wishing her good luck.

Once inside, Kyra picked out some comfortable clothing for her to change into and walked into the bathroom.

"Kaori," She frowned, seeing fresh tears streaming down her face as she held her knees close to her chest, "Let it all out, honey."

Kaori looked at her as she sat down beside the tub and inhaled sharply, "I... I can't get that face out of my head."

"Who?" Kyra knew very well who she meant but wanted Kaori to talk.

"That man with the amber eyes," Kaori gasped between sobs, "I can't get him out of my head! All I see is his eyes and then suddenly he's punching a hoe through my chest. After that, all I see is red."

Kyra felt her heart ache as she watched her best friend break down, "Kaori," She rubbed her shoulder gently, "Just try to relax so you don't hyperventilate."

"I don't understand why I'm seeing that," Kaori choked on another sob, "Why me?"

"I don't know, honey," Kyra sighed and leaned over the side of the tub, pressing her forehead against the side of Kaori's head as she hugged her, "I don't know."

Kaori slowly but surely calmed down and relaxed into the hot water, allowing Kyra to brush her hair and then wash it for her.

"There was a beach," Kaori suddenly spoke, "You were there and so was Tatara. Everyone that I've met so far was there, and they were all smiling."

Kyra looked down at her with a hopeful look in her eyes, "Oh?"

"He was there," Kaori's breath was shallow when she spoke of Mikoto, "But, it was different."

"How so?" She ran her fingers through Kaori's hair to spread the conditioning treatment through.

Kaori paused for a moment before hugging her knees close to her chest again, "He looked at me like..." Her brows furrowed as she tried to find the right word, "He looked at me like Yukari does, only with more passion and something I don't know how to describe."

 _He's the love of your life, Kaori._

That's what Kyra wanted to say, "He's not scary to you when you see him like that?"

"No," Kaori shook her head slowly, "In fact, when he looks at me like that it makes my chest tighten and my heart flutter."

A small smile spread on Kyra's face, "Is that so?" She finished with her hair and rinsed it out, "Maybe you should let him come back for another visit?"

"No," Kaori shook her head violently and looked back at her, "I can't."

She gave Kaori a reassuring look, "Can you promise to keep a secret if I tell you?"

"What is it?" Kaori frowned, her brows furrowed.

Kyra smiled, "That man, Mikoto Suoh," Kaori shuddered at the mention of his name, "He's very important to you, even beyond our friendship."

"How?" Kaori almost cried out, "He–"

"–loves you," Kyra couldn't help but blurt out, "Kaori, he loves you."

Her eyes went wide, "No."

"Yes," Kyra sighed, "And he's been miserable ever since you've forgotten everything. Even the kids don't put a smile on his face anymore."

Realizing her mistake after it was too late, Kyra watched Kaori as she sank back against the back of the tub and stared straight ahead of herself.

"That's why Yukari wouldn't tell me," Kaori whispered, "He only told me that that man was very important to me."

Kyra nodded.

Kaori looked at her and stayed silent for a long while, "He was my lover, wasn't he? And those twins... They're really mine?"

"Yeah," Kyra bit her bottom lip, "We didn't want to tell you so that you could possibly figure it out on your own."

"He's a terrifying man," Kaori's began to water, "How could I love a man like him? How could I have children with him?"

Kyra smiled small, "He's the love of your life," She stroked Kaori's hair gently, "You just need to figure out why."

Standing up, Kyra went and grabbed a couple of towels and set them down for her so she could dry off and change. Kaori did just that, getting up out of the cooling water and slowly dried herself off as she repeated Kyra's words in her head.

. . .

 _"You know, Christmas is coming and I've decided what I want," Kaori grinned at Mikoto from her spot on the bed as she lay on her stomach and kick her feet in the air, "Want to hear?"_

 _He chuckled and looked over to her as he pulled his shirt over his head, "Of course."_

 _She watched with lusty eyes as he unbuckled his belt and kicked his pants off, "Sorry, I was momentarily distracted by that sexy piece of man in front of me," She giggled and sighed softly, "I just want flowers."_

 _"Flowers?" He smirked, "What else?"_

 _Pushing herself up, she sank back on her knees as he approached, "Just flowers."_

 _"I see," Crawling up to meet her, his fingers playing at the hem of her racy babydoll, "May I make a request?"_

 _Kaori looked up at him with the most innocent expression she could, "What ever could you possibly want from me?"_

 _"Hmm, you know what I want from you," Mikoto smirked and leaned down, ignoring the roll of her eyes cast his way and began pressing his lips to her jawline, "What I want for Christmas? I want one of those large candy canes and some tequila from downstairs to go with my midnight snack."_

 _Kaori looked at him, "God damn, Mikoto," She grinned, "Going to make a minty cocktail with just tequila?"_

 _His eyes flickered down towards her lower extremities, "Well, the tequila is a part of it."_

. . .

Mikoto lay still on his bed, not having moved much since he'd returned from the place where Kaori was currently staying. He stared at the ceiling, not daring to close his eyes. From behind his lids, he could still see her face when she looked up at him. He could still hear her voice when she cried out in fear when he'd gotten too close to her.

 _"Get away from me."_

All because he'd spoken to her before she was ready.

Fuck, what a fool he was to let Kusanagi and Tatara talk him into going to see her so soon. What a damn fool he was to think she'd remember him when she laid eyes on him.

It was that sliver of hope that died along with the warmth in those chocolate orbs he loved so much.

"Damn it," Mikoto felt an unfamiliar wave of something raw rash over him and suddenly the corners of his eyes began to sting.

Mikoto quickly rose up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked to the attached bathroom, tearing his clothing off on the way there and jumped under boiling hot water. He couldn't catch his breath. His fingers curled into his palms as he pressed his knuckles into the wall, letting the water beat down on his body as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He could feel his body trembling and suddenly his head hung low, his jaw tightening and the pain finally brimming to the point where he couldn't contain it any longer.

If flames were no longer an expression that he produced with extreme emotion, it was tears.

The Red King, a man as proud and prideful as the fire he would wield, finally let go.

He'd lost her and with that, he'd lost his hope.

"Baby," Mikoto muttered out, finally closing his eyes to see her looking up at him.

 _Come back._

. . .

"We're going to see Kaori today, do you want to come?" Blake looked over to Kuroh and Shiro, who had been returned to his original body.

Shiro smiled, "I'll go."

Kiyomi looked up at her, "I'll pass," She smiled, "I want to wait until she remembers us all since I didn't know her very well."

"She would still be happy to see you," Blake assured, "She's extremely friendly."

Kuroh nodded while Neko grinned brightly, "Kaori and that creepy girly-man always make the best spicy snacks!"

"They do?" Kiyomi giggled, "Alright, I suppose if you guys say it's all going to be alright."

Blake grinned and Shiro nodded, "She'll be happy to meet you."

As they left Miharashi Tower and made their way to the home Kaori and the former Green clansmen were staying, Blake began to feel a sense of dread.

"Maybe we should have called first," Blake walked up the steps and sighed, "Do we knock?"

Shiro looked at her, "Are you alright?"

"I just have a bad feeling," Blake inhaled before knocking.

Yukari opened it almost instantly, "Oh, hello," He blinked and looked at all of his guests, "Come in."

"Were you heading out?"

He nodded, "I was going to do groceries, but I'll stay behind."

"What happened?" Blake frowned, "I know that look, so tell me what happened."

Yukari sighed, "We better discuss this over tea."

* * *

 **Poor Mikoto. :(**

 **Poor Kaori! ;(**

 **We're down to the very last chapter up next and it's going to be a long one. A lot of stuff left to go through, so I apologize in advance when it all jumps around!**

 **Also, I want to really apologize again if Mikoto was out of character, but the poor guy just had a really bad day so give him a break! ;(**

 **I will be typing up the very last chapter and possibly an epilogue during New Year's Eve since I have no life and don't drink socially, and also because I love you guys so fucking much! :'D**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	14. CH XIII - RETROSPECT (PT II)

**Happy New Year's my lovelies! As my gift to you, here is a mega long chapter that is the finale of Breaking Point! It's been an incredible ride, but unfortunately it all has to come to an end. :')**

 **Any and all reviews will be answered in the epilogue! I'm hoping I can see them all by the time I'm ready to post the very last update, because so far I can't see all of the new reviews. ;(**

 **Also, as a guest has asked; where is Fushimi? Well, Fushimi's making his appearance in this chapter! I didn't forget about him, peeps! :)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT – 13**

 **Retrospect – Part II**

* * *

"Well, look who finally crawled out of his hole," Kusanagi smiled as Mikoto slumped down onto one of the bar stools, "The usual or does this call for something stronger?"

Mikoto grunted his answer, telling Kusanagi that he wanted something strong.

"Kyra went up to go and visit Kaori," Kusanagi said, eyeing Mikoto as he poured his drink, "Said she got a call from Yukari because she hadn't come out of her room since the day we went to visit."

Mikoto tensed slightly and his eyes flickered up to the bartender, but he never responded.

Setting the large glass down in front of the Red King, Kusanagi leaned on the counter, "Said she let it out that you two were lovers but Kaori had already figured it out on her own," Still no reaction, "Kyra wants to bring you back for one more visit."

"Not interested," Mikoto leaned back and emptied the contents of his glass, "I'm not going to be burden while she's on the road to recovery."

Kusanagi rolled his eyes, "Don't be a damn baby about this, Mikoto."

Mikoto shot him a glare.

"Blake called earlier and said she went to go and visit her as well," Kusanagi refilled his glass to the very brim, "She said that they all talked about what she and those former Green's had been doing, but Kaori had suddenly gone out to the garden saying something about needing to make sure the flowers were still a bright red."

Amber eyes flashed at Kusanagi, "Red flowers?"

"Yeah," He rubbed the back of his neck, "Although, no one knows what she means by that."

Mikoto did.

. . .

"Well, look at you!" Yukari smiled, "Up and already at it."

Kaori turned to Yukari and smiled small, "That tea Kuroh went and got for me really helped me sleep last night, so I'm feeling much better."

"Good to hear," Yukari ruffled her hair gently before walking to the back door, "Will you be joining me?"

Kaori nodded, "Of course," She dried her hands off from what she was doing and then followed him out, "Are there going to be any guests today?"

"Well, Kusanagi called and asked if you were feeling well enough to have the kids over again?" Yukari looked at her as he tied his hair back.

She smiled, "You mean my twins?"

Yukari looked at her and blinked, "You remember?"

"Well, when Kyra talked to me yesterday and told me a few things, it made sense," Kaori pulled her gloves on before she got elbow deep in the fresh soil, "She told me that man, Mikoto Suoh, was my lover."

Yukari watched her, "How do you feel about that?"

"About the man from my nightmare being the father of children I just found out were mine?" Kaori looked at him, "Well, finally knowing why those twins look like me and why Anna gives me the looks she does, that's relieving. As for that man, I'm not so sure about him."

"Will you allow him to come back for a visit?"

Kaori halted her movement, "I don't know yet..." When she started digging in the soil again, she heard Yukari sigh softly, "I didn't dream about him killing me last night."

"That's a start," He smiled.

"I guess," She looked at what she was doing, "Did you buy me those red rose seeds?"

Yukari nodded, "As a matter of fact I did better. I'd actually managed to find an already growing bush at the gardening store and and I've already planted it the other day while you were hibernating."

She giggled, "Thanks," Hearing the door slide open, she looked back and saw Sukuna, "Hey."

Without a word, he scaled the stairs and dropped down beside her with a frown, "Are you alright?"

"I am," She smiled, pulling one of her gloves off and stroked his cheek, "Sorry for worrying you all."

Yukari watched the two and smiled, "Things are finally back to normal."

"Can I help with anything?" Sukuna asked, looking from one to the other.

Yukari tossed him a pair of gloves and grinned, "I'll teach you how to properly plant vegetables."

Kaori watched the two and felt at ease, smiling to herself as she continued working herself. With the quarrel between the two in the background while Yukari tried to reason with Sukuna's obscene ideas on how he could do things his own way, she couldn't help feel a wave of nostalgia that crept over her.

. . .

 _"Damn it, Rikio! That's not how you do things!" Yata glared, "You gotta do this and then you do that!"_

 _Kamamoto's brow twitched as Yata pulled a part what he'd been working on for over fifteen minutes, only to tie it the way he thought it should be done, "Yata! That's not how you do that!"_

 _"It is!" Yata growled, holding up what looked like a huge blob of fabric, "See, it looks so much better!"_

 _Taking the article from Yata's hands, Kamamoto proceeded to undo Yata's way when Meira and Reina popped out of nowhere, "You_ both _are doing it wrong."_

 _"What!" Both of them yelled._

 _Reina grinned, "Watch and learn, boys!"_

 _Meira quickly made easy work of what they'd been spending so much time on, "You have to fold the sheet before you add the elastic parts or else it's a pain in the butt to fold into a neat square."_

 _A fitted sheet. All of this over a fitted sheet._

 _Kaori watched from the side and giggled, "At least they're trying, Meira!"_

 _"True," She grinned, setting the perfectly folded bundle on the table in front of them, "Did you get all that?"_

 _Kamamoto blinked behind his glasses, "All I saw was a bunch of fabric flying into place and boom, you had a folded sheet."_

 _"I'll have to train you better," She winked._

 _Yata stared wide eyed, "Wow, can you do that again!"_

 _"I'll leave that one to you," Meira winked at Reina, who reached down and unfolded the sheet, "She's even faster at this than I am."_

 _Reina giggled and went behind Yata, "Alright, here we go!" She stuck her arms around him and helped him fold the sheet as she explained it, "And voila, you've got a perfectly folded sheet."_

 _After arriving back to the bar from their outing, Mikoto and Kusanagi walked over Kaori and looked down at her, "What's going on over there?"_

 _"Something about the anatomy of a fitted sheet and the mystery of how it's folded," Kaori looked up at them, "It's been very interesting to watch."_

 _Kusanagi chuckled and walked behind his counter while Mikoto sat down beside her, "How long have they been at that?"_

 _"Since you and Kusanagi left," Kaori looked at him, "Maybe all of the guys need a lesson on how this is done."_

 _"If you start teaching home economics here at HOMRA, I may have to change the admittance requirements for new members," He grinned._

 _Kaori poked his cheek, "Would do you boys some good, though!"_

 _"See fatty, I'm the best!"_

 _Both looked over to see Yata with the bundle in his hands as the large man huffed, "Yeah right! Reina did most of the work!"_

 _"It's like watching two siblings fight over who got the bigger cookie," Kaori watched them._

 _Mikoto shrugged, "Whatever keeps them occupied and out of trouble."_

. . .

"Hey, you okay?"

Kaori snapped out of her trance and looked up to see both Yukari and Sukuna looking down at her worriedly, "Oh, sorry... Must have spaced out."

"Should I be worried?" Yukari's slender brow rose.

"No," She smiled, "I think I just remembered something, that's all."

Sukuna dropped down in front of her, "Really? Like what?"

"Two men fighting over how to fold a fitted sheet," Kaori grinned.

Yukari blinked, "Really?"

"Mm," She giggled, "I don't know what happened during that day, but watching you two bicker just reminded me of that."

Sukuna pouted, "We wouldn't have to fight if Yukari would let me do what I want!"

"I see," She smiled, standing up and stretching, "When are our guests coming over?"

Yukari looked at her, "Let me go make a phone call and I'll tell you."

Kaori watched him walk up the steps and into the house while Sukuna stayed out there beside her, "Are you planting a rose bush?"

"Yeah, Yukari did for me the other day," She looked at him, "Why do you ask?"

"I thought you didn't like roses?" His brow rose, "You told me that once back when you and Kaen were staying with us."

Kaori blinked, "My son and I stayed with you?"

"Shit," He muttered, "I keep forgetting that you don't remember that."

She gave him a sympathetic smile, "Hopefully sometime soon, you won't have to worry about that and we can all laugh and cry about what happened in the past."

Sukuna nodded and looked up at her, "This may sound selfish, but I wish you'd just stay like you are with me and Yukari. I don't know want you to go back to being our enemy."

"Enemy?" Kaori frowned and stood up, bringing him into her arms before he could protest, "No, Sukuna, not enemies. When I finally remember and all of this, I won't turn away from you or Yukari. You two are part of my family now."

Sukuna looked up at her, "We are?"

"Yup," She winked, "So don't let those HOMRA boys tell you otherwise."

"Good to know," Yukari's voice came from behind her, "They're on their way."

Kaori looked back at him and smiled, "Should I make some tea?"

"No, Kusanagi said it was going to be a short visit," Yukari walked over and reached for her, curling his finger under her chin to tilt her head up so their eyes were locked, "Don't be mad at me for what is about to happen, okay?"

Her brows furrowed, "Why would I be mad at you?"

Yukari leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, "Sukuna, come with me," His eyes met Sukuna's, who was still attached to Kaori.

Reluctantly, Sukuna released her and followed Yukari back into the house. Kaori watched them curiously but paid no mind.

. . .

"Are you sure about this?" Yukari looked at Kusanagi, his eyes passing by the tall bartender to the silent red head behind him, "The last time Mikoto was here, it didn't end so well for either I'm sure."

Kusanagi looked at him, "He insisted."

"I see," Yukari narrowed his eyes slightly, "And you want to speak to her alone?"

Kyra and Tatara stood behind their King and frowned, "They both deserve some kind of closure."

"I agree, but I don't think it's best that he sees her alone after the reaction from last time," Yukari stood his ground.

Tatara stepped forward, "That's not fair," He frowned and gave the swordsman a pleading look, "Let them have a moment alone. If something happens, I'll take full responsibility."

Yukari looked at Tatara before his eyes flashed to Mikoto. From behind Kusanagi, the Red King looked out the only window facing the garden and watched as she tended to an already planted rose bush with his brows knit together.

"What does he have in his hands?" Sukuna asked, his eyes narrowing down at a white package.

Mikoto looked at him, "None of your damn business."

Yukari stepped in front of Sukuna to stop him from charging at Mikoto, "Enough," He looked at Mikoto, "You have five minutes and that's it. If it goes downhill like it did the last time, then you have a long time to wait before I allow any of you back here to see her."

"You think you can stop me or my clan from seeing her?" Mikoto's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Who the fuck do you think you are?"

"Who do I think I am?" Yukari didn't cower down at Mikoto's harsh gaze, "I'm her guardian until she needs me, that's who."

Mikoto scoffed and prepared to speak when Kusanagi intervened, "Alright, alright... Let's retract the claws and relax," He looked at Yukari, "Five minutes is plenty enough."

Yukari eyed Mikoto for a moment before stepping aside, "I'm more than powerful enough to take on a King with a sword or my bare hands, so keep that in mind."

"Believe me when I say that I'll be more than enough for you even without the help of the Dresden slate," Mikoto bit back, passing by him briskly to walk to the back door.

Yukari narrowed his eyes at Mikoto but knew arguing with him at this point was in vain.

"It's probably for the best that you let him go in there without a fight," Kusanagi looked at Yukari, "He's not in his right mind at the moment, so I don't know what he's capable of right now."

Yukari looked at Kusanagi, "And you think this is the answer?"

"It is," Kyra glared at him, "He deserves to be alone with her and to try and help her figure this out. I managed to convince her that he wasn't a bad man, so leave them be."

Sukuna glared, "He killed her!"

"He was supposed to put her down!" Kyra yelled as Tatara held her back, "The Colorless King jumped in front of an attack meant for Nagare and took the hit, so Mikoto was the one who really put her down. I don't know if this memory business got messed up because that bastard was inside of her with the other entity, but this wasn't supposed to happen!"

Tatara looked down at her, "Kyra, please calm down."

Kusanagi looked at her, "No, she's right Tatara," He looked at Yukari, "We're all frustrated because when she woke up, we were hoping what that thing had to say was true. If Mikoto put her down, she was supposed to retain all of her memories. If it had of been Blake, we would have understood why she is the way she is now."

"I understand your pain, really," Yukari sighed, "But this is something I have to do. I have to protect her both physically and psychologically."

Tatara smiled small, "We get that and we're grateful that you've been so courteous, but you need to understand that you can't make all of these decisions for her."

Kyra nodded and reluctantly agreed, "He's right."

. . .

Meanwhile, Mikoto slowly made his way down the stairs and watched her hard at work. She had a calm smile on her face and her eyes were serene. Watching her like that almost made him turn around and walk right back into the house, but he stood there and inhaled deeply.

"Kaori."

She jolted slightly at the sound of his voice and turned to look at him, her eyes widening slightly, "Mikoto?"

Hearing his name spill out from her lips caused a shudder to rise and fall up his entire body, "How are you?"

"I'm alright..." She slowly rose to her feet and turned to face him, her hands folding in front of her to try and stop the shaking but he could see otherwise, "H-How are you?"

He tried his best to offer her a small smile, "I've been better," Gripping the white package in his hands, he looked passed her to the rose bush, "You're tending to a rose bush?"

"Yeah," She looked back at it and then to him, "Although everyone keeps telling me that I don't like them."

"You don't," He chuckles slightly, "Always told me they were for gushy romantics who had nothing better to do than to buy something overused instead of using their creative minds. Told me if I ever brought you even a single rose, you'd shove it up my ass with thorns and all."

Kaori watched him, slightly appalled that she would say such a thing, "I said that?"

"Yeah," He looked at her, "The very first time we had a serious conversation was when you told me you hated them and then you saved your other comment for a few months later. I still remember that day clearly and can tell you everything you said to me."

She unclasped her hands and rubbed her arm slightly, "Really?"

He nodded before motioning to the small stone bench off to the side, "Do you mind?"

Kaori looked at it and then him, "No... Go ahead."

Mikoto walked over, making sure not to spook her and lowered himself down onto the bench with his eyes still on her own, "You can join me if you want?"

She shook her head, "Please don't take offense to this but I'm still scared of you," She could see the hurt flash in his amber orbs, but Mikoto was very good at keeping himself composed despite the situation, "Could you... Tell me more about what it was like before all of this?"

"Of course," He set the white package aside and rest his elbows on his knees, "What would you like to hear?"

Kaori thought for a moment, looking down at the ground as she folded her arms under her bust and inhaled softly, "What was it like when you and I were first together?"

"We were sixteen and both didn't know what the fuck we were doing," He ran his fingers through his messy, fiery locks, "Although, I'm sure the entire damn school knew you and I were together before we even started dating."

Kaori smiled small, "We were high school sweethearts?"

 _We are, considering you've been with my sorry ass for this long._ "Yeah, something like that."

"What about when I found out I was pregnant?" Kaori's eyes lit up ever so slightly.

Mikoto looked up at her with a small smile, "You remember they're ours?"

"I pieced two and two together with Kyra's help, but when I held them I had a feeling," Kaori said honestly, "They just felt so right being held in my arms."

Mikoto chuckled slightly, "Yeah, Kyra told everyone that she told you things you weren't supposed to be told right away," He looked away for a moment to gather his thoughts before taking a deep breath, "When you told me you were pregnant, it was like the world stood still. Eight and a half years now of you putting up with my hectic life and yet you were still adamant that you wanted to start a family with me the minute I proposed."

Kaori smiled small, "You were excited?"

"More than you may believe," Mikoto finally met her eyes, "We'd been trying ever since the night we got married."

"I didn't get pregnant beforehand?" She tilted her head, "How does that work?"

Mikoto grinned, "The little bastards most likely burned before you and I were bound," He straightened up and sighed, "It had something to do with the fact I was a King and you were like a regular human being that wouldn't have been able to carry my offspring until we were bound together as one. Sounds ridiculous but that's how it worked at the time."

"Oh, I see," Kaori smiled small, looking down at her tummy, "I must have been quite the size of a whale carrying twins."

"Yeah, you were pretty round," He chuckled, "I usually held you from behind because your belly was too big for me to hug you from the front."

She felt her cheeks heat up, "Really?"

"Mm," He looked at her, "I almost lost you, though. You suffered a severe tear while the twins were still in your uterus and with your hemophilia they were worried you'd already bled out before they were born."

Kaori frowned, "I have a blood condition?"

"Yeah, but its type A," Mikoto gave her a reassuring look, "If you've been wondering why you have nasal spray that you take on a regular basis, that's why."

She nodded slowly, "That makes sense."

"Anything else you want to know?"

Kaori looked at him and considered his question for a good, long while.

Mikoto sat there in silence, patiently waiting for her to speak. It felt like a relief, sitting there talking to her instead of watching her drop to the ground in fear at the mere sight of his face. He felt his chest tighten when she'd hold his stare for more than three seconds, or the way she'd give him a small smile when he spoke. It wasn't the beautiful smile he was used to that would reach her ears, but it was a start.

"Why did I fall in love with you?" She suddenly asked.

Mikoto looked up at her, "I can't answer that."

"Why not?"

He stood up and pocketed one of his hands and picked up the package with the other, "What should I say? That I captured your heart with my charming smile or wonderful personality?" His brow rose as she frowned, "I'm not good with words, Kaori. I can't tell you why you fell in love with me because some days I ask myself that."

Taking careful steps, Mikoto closed the distance between them until he saw her tense, "Mikoto?"

"I've had a long time to think about how I would have handled this moment," He looked down at her and sighed, "But now I don't even know what to do while I'm standing so close to you."

Kaori was looking up at him and gripped her arm enough to turn her flesh white, "Why did you do it?"

"Do what?" He narrowed his eyes.

"Kill me," Kaori's voice cracked, "All I see is fire when I see your face in my dreams."

Mikoto faltered but he never looked away, "It was a mistake," He inhaled deeply, "They're all going to kick my ass for this but I don't care, you need to hear the truth. Before you lost your memory we were at war with the Green King after he'd stolen the slates and during a fight between him and me, you got caught in the middle of it and took the hit for him."

"Yukari told me a little about what happened," Kaori frowned, "He said a man titled the Colorless King had taken over my body and forced me to move into the crossfire."

Mikoto nodded, "It's true. He'd been waiting for an opportunity to take me down and then Nagare, but I got to him first," There was a pregnant pause as Mikoto composed himself, "I haven't forgiven myself for what I did even though that was the only way to get you back."

They stared at each other for a moment before he lifted the hand that held the package and offered it to her, "I thought you may like these."

Kaori took it from his hand very gently and looked down at it, "Thank you."

His fingers itched to touch her for any amount of seconds, "No problem," Turning on his heel, he took lengthy strides back to the steps and went back into the house without a word.

"Mikoto?" Tatara looked at him as he briskly passed by them and out the front door, his hands in his pockets and posture completely rigid, "King..."

Kusanagi put a hand on his shoulder, "Leave him be. This was a big step for the two of them today so just let him have a few minutes alone."

Tatara nodded reluctantly while Kyra tip toed her way closer to the door leading to the garden, watching Kaori closely as she stared down at the white package in her hands. Not having noticed before, it was a longer, thin box with a red ribbon wrapped delicately around it.

She watched as Kaori took the ribbon between her two fingers before pulling at one of the slack ends of the bow and slowly pulled it apart. When it fell to the ground, she pulled the flap open to examine what was inside, only to go wide eyed when she looked into the box.

"What was inside of that?" Kyra looked at Kusanagi.

He shrugged, "I don't know," He looked over and saw Kaori was crying softly and had a hand clasped over her mouth, "Whatever it was, Mikoto didn't want to be here when she opened it."

Tatara looked over and watched her, noticing she reached down and took whatever it was between her fingers before pulling it out of the container.

"Is that what I think it is," Kyra bit her bottom lip.

"It is," Kusanagi smiled, "That fucker, he knew she'd react like this."

Tatara felt his eyes water as he watched Kaori hold three red orchids in her hand, the other dropping the box to better hold the delicate beauties in her hands, "Those are her favorite, color and all."

Yukari watched and smiled softly, "Beautiful. This is how he plans to make her remember."

 **\- x -**

 _"Every year you always make the same plans," Fushimi muttered, watching as the other members of HOMRA enthusiastically prepared the bar for their own personal party to commemorate the fateful day when the Red King's clan became just that, "Why not do something different?"_

 _"Because," Kaori looked at him and smiled, "Its tradition and now you and Yata are a part of it. Anna, too."_

 _Fushimi nodded slowly and sighed, "I just don't see why you have to decorate the bar like its Christmas or something stupid like that."_

 _"Oh Fushimi, you're such a party pooper! Have some fun!"_

 _"Yeah, Fushimi!" A couple of the guys cheered with grins on their faces._

 _Kaori hopped off her stool and walked over to him, flinging her arm around his shoulders, "Why don't you go be social? You'll find out that they're a lot nicer than you make them out to be."_

 _"Do I have a choice in the matter?" His eyes met hers in a bored expression._

 _"Mm, nope," She winked._

 _Fushimi sighed and slipped off the stool he'd been occupying for three hours and strode over to the others. Yata greeted him with a bright grin while Chitose wrapped an around him and chuckled at some joke he'd just spouted out. Of course, Fushimi looked miserable but he simply crossed his arms and remained silent while they talked around him._

 _Kaori watched as Tatara skillfully crept towards them with his camera in hand, "Smile!"_

 _All of the members grinned brightly and held up their fists or waved towards the camera, but Fushimi remained in the same position with the same dissipated look on his face. Tatara grinned and sighed, taking several more shots before retreating to hide his beloved camera from the wrath of the younger version of Kusanagi._

 _"Hey everyone!" Kusanagi looked over, "You're all having drinks on me, aside from the two minors."_

 _"YEAH!"_

 _Yata groaned, "But, Kusanagi! That's not fair!"_

 _"I'll make you a non-alcoholic cocktail," He grinned, "It tastes just like the real deal."_

 _The russet boy muttered something while Kamamoto chuckled and teased him. Off to the side, Fushimi got roped into helping Fujishima and Dewa with a few of the finishing touches._

 _"Anna," Kaori looked down at her and smiled, "Would you like me to get you something to drink?"_

 _She looked up at Kaori with her big crimson eyes and smiled small, "I'm alright."_

 _Kaori reached down and stroked her cheek gently before looking over to the boys, "You know Kusanagi, I could watch this scene over and over again for the rest of my life."_

 _"Mm," He smiled, "The boys are all here and everyone's happy," His eyes caught Fushimi and he cracked a grin, "Well, most of us."_

 _Mikoto walked out of the kitchen yawning into his hand, "Tatara's forcing us to take a family photo."_

 _"Forcing?" Kaori grinned, "Only because you hate having your picture taken."_

 _He shrugged and grunted._

 _"Alright everyone! Gather in front of the bar and I'll set the camera up!" Tatara was beaming, finally having the chance to use his brand new tripod and the regular camera Kusanagi had gotten him for his birthday, "I'll set the timer when everyone is ready."_

 _Kaori smiled and pulled Mikoto to one of the stools in front of the camera and sat down beside him after pulling Anna up onto her lap while the others quickly huddled together. Tatara took that as the signal and set the timer, rushing over to the other side of Kaori and smiled brightly while Kusanagi grinned at his enthusiasm._

 _"To HOMRA!"_

 _. . ._

 _"You know, I was thinking about something."_

 _Mikoto looked at Tatara and sighed, "What now? Another one of your lame schemes to get your ass kicked?"_

 _"No!" Tatara pouted, "I'm talking about brightening the place up a bit."_

 _Kusanagi glared, "On no, you're not bringing anything else into my bar."_

 _"Not that way," Tatara held his hands up in surrender, "I'm talking more members."_

 _"Aren't there already enough?" Mikoto grunted, running his hand over his hair._

 _"Not ladies," Tatara pointed out, "Don't you think Kaori would feel a little livelier if she had women her own age to talk to? I mean, Anna is opening up to her but it's not the same!"_

 _Kusanagi blinked, "Well, that's true. I see his point, Mikoto."_

 _"Alright, so what are you going to do? Plaster posters all over the city to come and join a bunch of guys that do nothing but fight?" Mikoto drawled out, "Tatara, that's a ridiculous idea you have."_

 _Tatara sighed, "No appreciation for my brilliant thinking."_

 _"You know, you could have asked me if I wanted more female friends."_

 _All three men nearly jumped out of their skin as Kaori stood there with her arms crossed and a highly amused expression on her face._

 _"How long have you been standing there?" Tatara placed a hand on his chest and took a deep breath to try and calm his breathing._

 _Kaori giggled, "Long enough to know that my need to socialize with other women has become a concern of yours."_

 _"Well, it would do you some good," Kusanagi chuckled, "Can't be all that great being around a bunch of rough-housing brutes all day?"_

 _"I got used to it really fast," She walked over and slid under the arm Mikoto had lifted for her, "Besides, they're like my kids and I never get tired of being around my kids."_

 _Tatara smiled, "So that's why they call you mum now!"_

 _"Yeah," She giggled, "I've been calling them my little boys, even if it makes them all flustered."_

 _Kusanagi grinned at Mikoto, "Guess that makes you their fathe–"_

 _"Don't even finish that sentence," Mikoto glared, earning a laugh from both Tatara and Kusanagi._

 _. . ._

 _"Kaori," Anna pulled at her hem of her shirt gently._

 _She looked down at Anna and smiled, "Yes, love?"_

 _The tiny, doll-like girl looked up at her with huge crimson eyes, "Can I have a pet?"_

 _"... Well, that depends," Kaori gave an uneasy laugh thinking of how Kusanagi would react to an animal in his bar without his knowledge or consent, "What is it?"_

 _Anna took her hand and led her to the back of the bar where Fujishima stood awkwardly waiting._

 _Kaori deadpanned when she was met with a large, albeit beautiful brown horse, "Oh..." Her eyes were met with glistening crimson ones that would melt the heart of anyone who looked into them, "Oh no, you deal with Izumo on this one!"_

 _Shooing them both up the stairs, Kaori stood there with the horse while Fujishima and Tatara escorted HOMRA's little princess to see Kusanagi. With her few moments alone with the creature, she walked over and stroked its fur gently with a small smile._

 _"A horse, eh?" She sighed, "I knew it was a bad idea to let go with just one of the boys."_

 _"Can we keep it?"_

 _Kaori looked over at the sound of Anna's voice and the footsteps of several others. A tight grin pulled at her lips when Kusanagi came into view, most likely expecting a small animal like a puppy or a kitten. Hell, he probably would have taken a human instead of what his eyes landed on._

 _"_ A HORSE _?" Kusanagi's face dropped and his eyes bulged, "We can't keep a horse!"_

 _Anna's eyes watered instantly, "But, you just said..."_

 _Kusanagi shot Kaori an accusatory look, only to be given an innocent smile as she put her hands in the air to show submission, "I have absolutely no part in this! I was the one who sent her to go see you."_

 _"Anna," Kusanagi frowned looked down at her, "A horse isn't something we can keep in such a small space, so why don't we take it back to where it belongs?"_

 _Out of nowhere, Mikoto appeared in the main bar area taking a seat on one of the stools. Kaori grinned when he complained of his headache, having drank a little over his limit the previous night and watched him unsympathetically._

 _"Huh?" His eyes landed on the horse, "... Since when do we have a horse?"_

 _Kusanagi looked stressed beyond stressed as Kaori giggled and rubbed his back in a soothing manner, "Anna and Fujishima brought it back."_

 _"Do we only have idiots in HOMRA?" Kusanagi groaned, walking over to the bar to pour himself a strong drink._

 _Tatara smiled, "Come on, guys! Look at how handsome this horse is? Have you ever seen such nice, shiny fur?"_

 _Anna ran over to Mikoto holding up a piece of paper while Tatara set a large bowl with some water on the counter for it, "We need a name for it!"_

 _Mikoto stared at the horse for a moment before eyeing its shoulder, "Basashi."_

 _Kaori deadpanned while Tatara just stared at the King, "... King, I don't think that's appropriate."_

 _With a growl of his stomach, that was enough argument for him as he continued to eye the horse. Kusanagi later agreed about having a feast, to which the horse abruptly revealed its true form. With brilliant white wings flapping, feathers spread all over the bar and suddenly all of Kusanagi's liquors were shaking out of their holders and falling onto the floor.  
_

 _"..." Kaori looked at Kusanagi after the boys managed to get Basashi out of the bar, "Remember what we did last time the bar was messed up," She looked at him, "Deep breaths and Zen thoughts."_

 _Kusanagi was livid, eyeing the entire mess with a brow twitching angrily, "Those... Idiots."_

 _. . ._

 _"Tomorrow is our sixth year anniversary," Kaori grinned up at Mikoto, "What do you want to do?"_

 _He looked down at her as they walked along the sidewalk in tandem, "Well, we could always go for dinner at that place you like so much?"_

 _"Taking me out on a date? How touching," She smiled and looked up at the sky, "I wouldn't ask you to do that because I know how much being in a public restaurant bothers you."_

 _He took her hand in his and shrugged, "I would put up with it for a few hours for you."_

 _"Aww," Kaori looked up at him, "Are you getting soft on me?"_

 _"It's your charming personality that's doing it I suppose," He grinned._

 _"You're so full of shit," She grinned back and hip-checked him, "Seriously though, what would you like to do?"_

 _"Get drunk and have lots of sex?" His brow rose, "Eat and then watch movies? It doesn't matter to me."_

 _She sighed, "Really?"_

 _Mikoto looked down at her and gave her a flirtations (in Mikoto's books at least) smile, "I'm only teasing. I have something already planned."_

 _"Oh?" It was her turn to give him a curious look with a raised brow, "Like what?"_

 _"It's a surprise."_

 _Later that evening Mikoto and Kaori returned to the bar to find it empty, much to Kaori's surprise but from the look on her lovers face he most likely arranged for that. She followed him into the kitchen where he'd had a stool waiting and sat her down on it before disappearing for a moment. When he came back, he was topless and had taken his belt off so his pants hung low on his hips. Quickly grabbing the filly apron Tatara always wore to cook, he cast her a wink and a seductive smile before proceeding to cook her favorite dish._

 _"My, my!" Kaori blinked and smiled brightly, "I must be spoiled!"_

 _Mikoto looked at her and smirked, "I've been suffering through hours of cooking lessons from Tatara for this, so it better be damn good."_

 _"I'm sure it will be," She giggled and sighed contently, "The frilly apron really makes this a beautiful experience, although it would have been perfect if you'd of ditched the pants."_

 _"Easily done if that's what you want," Mikoto turned the stove off and looked back at her, "All you have to do is ask."_

 _Kaori grinned, "How about you prepare the table upstairs in the TV room while I go slip into something more comfortable?"_

 _"Sure thing," He smirked and leaned down to kiss her quickly before she disappeared._

 _. . ._

 _"Kaori, can I ask you something?" Yata sat down beside her on the sofa, his face full of curiosity and his eyes wide like they always were when it was an uncomfortable topic for the latter._

 _Kaori eyed him suspiciously, "Of course."_

 _"Well, you and Mikoto are really... Active," Yata's cheeks went red and Kaori's eyes narrowed more, "Why aren't you pregnant?"_

 _She blinked not entirely expecting that, "Well, I can't get pregnant right now. Apparently according to the history of the slates as told by the Silver King and his sister's research, a King can't impregnate a woman until she's bound to him."_

 _"Oh, I see," He nodded slowly, "So then, you guys don't need to use protection?"_

 _"Alright," She shifted so she had him pinned against the arm of the sofa, "Who set you up to this?"_

 _Yata's face was on fire at this point, "N-No one! Really!" He inhaled sharply, "I was just curious because, well... Reina and I are..."_

 _"Yatagarasu," Kaori's lips pulled into a sly grin, "Are you coming to me for advice on sex?"_

 _He nodded several times as she pulled away, "If you don't mind..."_

 _"Of course not!" The grin never left her lips, "What is you want to know?"_

 _"Well," He shuffled slightly and fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, "I don't know how to, you know... Do anything other than a simple kiss? I mean, she told me she's already done some of this before on her own but I'm new to everything."_

 _"You know the boys are going to have a field day with you if they catch wind that you're wanting to seal the deal with her?" Her brows rose and her eyes were shining with amusement._

 _He nodded quickly, "I know, so that's why I'm coming to you."_

 _"You should ask Izumo or Mikoto, really," She sighed and sat back, "Then again, hell knows what they would tell you to do. Especially Mikoto," She looked at him and smiled, "Alright, I'll give you some advice from a mum to her surrogate son with all embarrassment aside."_

 _Yata turned to her fully and stared at her with wide eyes, waiting to take in all of the knowledge she was about to bestow upon him. She would be lying if she'd said it didn't make her slightly uncomfortable, but partnered with perverted friends and years of Mikoto's animalistic nights in bed she felt she was prepared for this._

 _"Even though you'll be easier to get ready, just be aware that if you wait too long you won't be able to keep up stamina," Kaori began, her cheeks turning a light pink, "Also, it's alright to skip the oral sex for the first time. It can be uncomfortable for both you and your partner if it's not spoken about. I'm a firm believer in communication before you try new things."_

 _Yata nodded and blinked, "So then, you and Mikoto talked about all this first?"_

 _"Let's not compare my first time with how yours will be," Kaori giggled, "It was totally random and messy, but it always is."_

 _"Alright," He nodded again, "What else?"_

 _"Well, it's always good to explore. The more familiar you are with each other's bodies, the easier it will be to find every place that will make her tick," Kaori curled a finger around her chin, "For example, most girls either like having their necks kissed or the backs of their knees stroked with just the fingertips. You'd be surprised at how sensitive the most unpredictable places can be."_

 _"Okay, so stroke with fingertips and kiss neck," Yata repeated._

 _Kaori giggled, "Also, don't play her breasts too much. It gets annoying after a while, but most ladies will be polite enough not to say anything since we all know how much you boys love boobs."_

 _Yata went red and nodded, refusing to repeat that out loud._

 _"As for helping her to get ready for the actual sex," Kaori inhaled deeply before looking at him, "It's uncomfortable for us if we're not... Erm..._ Lubricated _down there, so use your fingers and do a lot of gentle touches. Nothing rough, especially down there when you're just starting out. Since neither of you have had sex before make sure to really get her hot and bothered, she'll thank you for it during the initial start. Just because we like to be pampered doesn't mean you guys don't enjoy some special time as well, so don't be shocked if she reciprocates whatever you do."_

 _Yata bit his bottom lip and nodded, "Alright, good to know."_

 _"And kiss her. Kiss her, lots."_

 _Yata nodded and mulled over her advice for a moment before a grin split on her face._

 _"Oh, when those boys get a hold of you," She giggled and shook her head, "I feel bad for you."_

 _Yata groaned, "Please don't remind me!"_

 _. . ._

 _"Everyone went out to go and get everything for your birthday this evening," Kusanagi smiled at Kaori, who slumped against the counter with one arm and rubbed her swollen belly with the other, "I picked up your gift before coming her this morning."_

 _"Not you too!"_

 _Kusanagi teased her a little more and blinked at her theory on what Mikoto had gotten her, but grinned and explained that he'd been with him the entire time._

 _"Once you understand what it means and what it actually is, you'll love it."_

 _Kaori nodded slowly and sipped at her drink, her mind hard at work to figure out what it could possibly be. After a while, all of the members of HOMRA began showing up one by one. Of course, Tatara and Kusanagi shooed Kaori upstairs and set her up with some snacks, a lot of water and a comfortable blanket in the TV room so they could prepare the main bar area. She was forty-five minutes into the movie when Anna came running in, climbing up and laying against her immediately while Mikoto followed her in at a slower pace._

 _"So, this is where they segregated you?" He grinned._

 _She nodded and played with Anna's hair, "I'm alright with it. Kusanagi made the pregnant lady all of her favorite snacks and made sure to give her plenty to drink," She winked at Mikoto, "He knows the way to my heart."_

 _Mikoto chuckled and walked over, "Anna, would you mind giving us a few minutes alone and then she's all yours until supper?"_

 _"Okay," Anna smiled and hopped down, running to go meet Tatara to get his help with wrapping Kaori's gift._

 _Kaori looked up at him and smiled when he sank down onto the sofa beside her, "You're difficult to buy for, do you know that?"_

 _"I am not," She glared halfheartedly, "Kusanagi said he was with you when you bought it and he didn't know what it was, so now I'm curious."_

 _He chuckled, "Of course he'd peak your interest with this," Digging into his pockets, he pulled out a small box that had a ribbon on it._

 _Kaori blinked, "You know, I already have a ring on my finger and signed a marriage certificate stating I'm yours."_

 _"It's not a ring," He grinned and held it out to her, "Just open it and see."_

 _Taking it from his hands, she opened it slowly and blinked when she saw it, "Okay, I know you know I collect gemstones, but what is this?"_

 _"Take it out and take a closer look," His eyes were shining with amusement, watching her every move._

 _Kaori nodded slowly and did as he instructed, pulling the plain looking rock out and examined it thoroughly, "I still don't get it?"_

 _"Now Kaori, you know I wouldn't bring you just an ordinary piece of stone," He smirked, watching the gears in her mind turn as she stared at what was in her hands._

 _"This is a piece of the Dresden slate?" Kaori looked at him with a slightly wide eyed expression, "But how did you get this?"_

 _Mikoto sat back and leaned his head against the back of the leather sofa, his eyes still on his wife, "The new Gold King, Blake, let me carve a piece off even though we didn't think it would retain any power once separated from the original slate," He reached over and stroked her cheek gently, "She and Shiro wanted you to have a piece as a good luck token for a safe pregnancy."_

 _"That's so sweet of you all," Kaori smiled and looked down at the stone, "I can feel it. The light pulsate it's giving off right."_

 _Mikoto smiled small and pulled her into his side, "Happy birthday baby."_

 _"What did I say about you calling me that," She shot him a playful glare._

 _He smirked, "Who said I didn't want to get your attention?"_

 _. . ._

 _There was a lot of commotion after a large explosion as all of the Red clan piled into the streets with their eyes on the man holding Akira and Kaori hostage. Even after being taken by a man who was trying to threaten and possibly assassinate Mikoto Suoh, Kaori never lost her cool and remained alarmingly calm while Akira followed her lead._

 _"Stand down you Red clan fucks!"_

 _"Let them go you piece of shit!" Reina glared angrily as she attempted to charge forward only to be caught by Yata around the waist._

 _He smirked and chuckled, "Oh yeah? Why would I do that when I have HOMRA's Queen and you second in command's bitch at my disposal?" Aiming his fully loaded pistol at Kaori's head, he looked at Mikoto as the Red King walked in front of all of HOMRA, "Well, well, well. If it isn't the King himself. Come to join our little soiree?"_

 _Mikoto looked at him, "You think you have an upper hand in this, but I wouldn't be so cocky while you have my wife so close to you."_

 _"Bullshit," The man laughed darkly, "She's got a loaded gun pressed to her skull. I don't think she's much of a threat," He grabbed Akira's hair and pulled back harshly, "Or this one for that matter."_

 _Kusanagi narrowed his eyes as Akira yelped loudly and glared daggers back at the back, "Mikoto, I hope you know what you're doing."_

 _"I do," Mikoto continued to stare down the man holding his wife and Akira, "He'll find out soon enough why very few have been ballsy enough to touch my woman."_

 _When Mikoto's eyes locked onto Kaori's, she gave a subtle nod and grabbed Akira's hand. Without warning, the man glared and reached to separate the two but was engulfed in a roaring flame. Pregnant and filled with hormones, Kaori whipped around and slammed a flaming fist into his stomach shortly after melting the pistol in his hand. Akira also gave a sharp jab to the man, aiming for a more delicate spot lower down as he fell to the ground and rolled around trying desperately to put the flames out._

 _Mikoto walked forward and placed his hand on Kaori's shoulder offering her a calm look before looking at Akira, "You alright?"_

 _"Yeah," Akira nodded and looked at Kusanagi when he walked up and stroked the back of her head gently._

 _Kaori looked down at the man, "I made sure the flames weren't potent like yours. I knew you'd want the last hit."_

 _"Damn fucking right I do," Mikoto walked forward and with a wave of his hand, the flames cosuming the man were pulling away from his body like they were being ripped off, "Get up."_

 _The man was burnt from head to toe but was still conscious, "M-Monster..." As the Red King approached the once brazen and cocky man panicked, "Please, have mercy!"_

 _"Hn," Mikoto grunted and gave the man a severe kick to his shin, breaking the fragile bone and causing the man to scream in pain, "You kidnapped my wife and my best friend's lover," He walked towards his head and stared down at him, "You don't get mercy."_

 _In a matter of seconds, the only remainder of that man was the burnt stain on the asphalt where his corpse had been eaten up by Mikoto's strongest flame._

 _. . ._

 _"Its tradition, is it not?" Mikoto asked, walking into the room with his hands behind his back._

 _Kaori looked over and smiled, "Is what a tradition?"_

 _"The day we first met," Mikoto walked over to her, "You sometimes forget that I'm meticulous with dates."_

 _"I know," She smiled up at him, "To think over eight years ago today, we were just facing one another for the first time after you beat the shit out of those bullies for me and now we're married and expecting kids."_

 _Mikoto smirked, "Mm. Well, the only one who is allowed to bully you is me," Leaning down he kissed her quick, "Most cases end up with you unable to move for the majority of the following day."_

 _"Mm," She grinned back at him, "You can't beat those nights."_

 _Pulling away from her, Mikoto brought his hands in front of him and presented her with a multicolored arrangement of orchids and lily's. Her eyes went wide as she accepted it, immediately inhaling their intoxicating scents before reaching for Mikoto to pull him in for a kiss._

 _"It's not often you bring me flowers," She smiled brightly._

 _He couldn't help but smile, "No, but when I do it's only for special occasions or because I want to remind you how much I love you."_

 **\- x -**

It was late in the evening when Yukari discovered that Kaori was nowhere to be found. He and Sukuna searched the entire property before grabbing their weapons and rushing out onto the streets to look for her. Having called HOMRA to tell Kusanagi, all of the Red clan also rushed out to find their missing Queen. Unknown to them, their panic reached Scepter 4 and soon the Special Unit was involved.

"You sure she'll come with us?" Domyouji asked, "I mean, she had to be reintroduced to those Red's, so why would we be any different?"

Awashima looked at him, "We're the authority that serve to protect the city, so she will understand that we mean her no harm," She turned to Munakata as he and Eri walked over to the group, "Shall we issue this under Navy Blue, sir?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Munakata smiled, "Blake has given me the information I need to know where to find her."

Awashima nodded and accepted the paper the Blue King handed to her before he walked over to one of the vehicles and climbed into the back.

"This is ridiculous," Fushimi narrowed his eyes, "Can't any of those people do anything right?"

"Fushimi," Awashima frowned, "It's not their fault."

He clicked his tongue and looked away, "I'm going to look for her on my own."

Awashima, Hana and Eri watched as he walked away, "Do you think he'll know where to find her?"

"Probably," Hana looked at Awashima, "Keirsten said that Kaori was like his mother big sister for the longest time."

Akiyama walked over, "We have news of Kaori Suoh's location."

"Where is she?" Awashima looked at him.

"At the cemetery just outside of Shizume City."

. . .

 _"This is it," Kaori sighed deeply before looking back at Mikoto, "Are you sure you want to come with me?"_

 _"He's your father and my potential father-in-law," He stood behind her with his hands buried deep in his pockets and his eyes narrowed slightly, "I'll have to meet him eventually. Besides, I'm not leaving you on your own with a man you're only meeting for the first time."_

 _Kaori smiled small at him before lifting her fist up to knock on the door. After giving three decent taps, they waited patiently at the step for any movement on the inside. The house itself wasn't really big, but it wasn't small either. It was a decent sized house with a bigger yard than normal._

 _Their attention was pulled forward when footsteps closed in on the door and the lock clicked open. Kaori held her breath as the door pulled into the home, opening to reveal a rather tall male with chocolate eyes and black hair. He was built similarly to Mikoto, being tall and fit for his body type. He dressed in casual clothing, having been wearing a pair of regular dark wash jeans and a plaid dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows._

 _"Yes, can I help you?" He looked from Kaori to Mikoto with a curious but friendly expression._

 _Kaori released the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding, "H-Hello," When his eyes met her own, she faltered for a moment before offering him a small smile, "Sorry to bother you but, we were in the neighborhood..."_

 _"Oh? Do I know you?" He smiled._

 _"I'm..." Kaori paused for a moment and jumped slightly at the contact of Mikoto's hand wrapping around her own to give her a squeeze of encouragement, "I'm you daughter, Kaori Watari."_

 _His eyes went wide, "Oh, my God," They stared at one another for a long moment before a bright smile stretched across his lips, "Holy shit, you really are my girl. Come on in, both of you!"_

 _Kaori blushed softly and nodded, walking inside with Mikoto in tow as the man welcomed them into his home. Neither she nor Mikoto had been expecting the man to be so accepting to the fact his long lost daughter had just arrived on his doorstep, but they didn't argue the fact. Kaori had been hoping for a pleasant introduction and that was exactly what she'd gotten._

 _Yushin Ushikii was his name. He was only two years older than her mother and had abandoned his lifestyle of drinking and partying for a college education in engineering and welding. The man was one of the best in Shizume City and had helped build his home, which had a very welcoming, humble touch to it._

 _"This is incredible," Yushin smiled as he watched Kaori, "How old are you now? You must be sixteen by now?"_

 _Kaori smiled softly, "I just turned seventeen."_

 _"Seventeen already," He shook his head and sighed in disbelief, "To think that much time has already gone by."_

 _"Mum told me about you before I moved in with my boyfriend," Kaori looked at him, "She didn't exactly have anything nice to say about you, either."_

 _"No, I don't think she would," Yushin chuckled, "I was in a dark place when I met her, although I would have given her the world if she'd of asked me to. Even after she met the man that she ended up marrying, she got in contact with me and told me she was pregnant. I told her I'd work to support her and you, but she cut me off the minute you were born. Hell, I wasn't even given an option for visitation."_

 _"She told me that she fought you for custody?" Kaori frowned._

 _He nodded, "I wanted to get you out of that environment. As I'm sure you're aware, that family doesn't treat_ common folk _like us very nicely."_

 _"Ain't that the truth," Mikoto grunted, earning a small grin from Yushin._

 _"Enough about that," Yushin looked at Kaori, "Tell me about yourself. What have you been up to all this time and what are you planning on doing after school?"_

 _Kaori flustered slightly, "Well, I finished junior high and haven't decided what I want to do yet."_

 _"I'm assuming your lover here has something to do with that?" Yushin grinned._

 _Kaori blushed and nodded, "Somewhat."_

 _Mikoto and Yushin exchanged looks before the elder man leaned forward with his hand extended, "Nice to meet you formally."_

 _"Likewise," Mikoto shook his hand, "At least you won't threaten to kill me because I'm a piece of shit."_

 _"Is that what your mother said?" Yushin looked at Kaori and sighed when she nodded, "Damn woman. She doesn't know when to keep her comments to herself. Never has, never will apparently. I'm just glad my little girl took after me and didn't go for a rich asshole that's got a gold stick shoved up his ass."_

 _Mikoto stared at him before cracking a smirk, "I think I'm going to like you."_

. . .

Kaori sat down against a large tombstone with her arms wrapped around her legs and her chin resting on top of her knees. She had gone on autopilot after leaving the house and when she ended up here, she'd stopped and stared down at a tombstone with the name "Yushin Ushikii". The tears were almost instant, remembering that the two had only shared a brief relationship before his untimely passing.

It wasn't fair, having lost him after knowing what true parental love finally felt like. He'd picked up with her right where a normal parent would have even after just meeting her when she was seventeen. He'd been so kind and understanding to her needs and more than happy to help her when she needed it. Above all, he accepted Mikoto and had the utmost faith in him. At first when Yushin sat Mikoto down and had a talk with him, it had thrown the fiery haired teen off but also calmed his nerves.

"Father," Kaori sobbed softly and leaned her head back against his tombstone, "Where are you when I need you the most..."

"He's in a better place, that's for sure."

Kaori looked over to see a figure approaching her, immediately recognizing the uniform after having met the leader of Scepter 4 briefly during one of Blake's visits. He looked down at her as he approached and stopped a few feet away.

There was something distant and torn in his eyes, making her maternity instincts want to kick in much like they did when she'd met Yata and Reina.

"I didn't expect to be the one to find you first, but in a way I'm glad I am," Fushimi admitted as he closed the distance between them, spinning on his heel off to the side and lowered himself down onto the ground beside her, "Do you even remember my face?"

"You're Saruhiko Fushimi, right?" She looked at him after brushing her tears away, "Kusanagi told me about you and then showed me pictures, but you're different now. More mature and... Sad."

He looked at her, "I was with you when they had you. The Green's; I had a mission to infiltrate their base and be ready when the Blue King came to retrieve the slates. I didn't expect to see you there, but after what happened I followed you to make sure you'd be safe."

"You care enough about me to risk your life?"

He nodded, "You were the first woman in my life to show me any kind of real affection," He leaned back against the marble stone and closed his eyes, "I referred to you as my mother often, but I never did say it out loud unless it was an emergency."

Kaori smiled softly, "You and Yata... I remember now when you two first joined HOMRA."

"We were to stuck up teenagers with nowhere to go," He mused, "I should apologize for the shit that went down but I don't think I need to at this point."

"No, it would be pointless," She looked at him, "Why did you come?"

"Everyone's looking for you," Fushimi looked at her, "Captain Munakata received a very urgent phone call from the Gold King after Yukari had contacted HOMRA and Kusanagi called Shiro. Everyone is out here looking for you right now."

Kaori frowned and looked down at her knees, "I didn't mean to worry anyone... I just wanted some time to think."

"What made you up and leave?" His brow rose.

"An orchid," Kaori whispered, "Mikoto brought me an orchid."

Fushimi's brow rose, not entirely getting what that was supposed to mean but remained silent when she continued.

"I'm remembering everything," Kaori answered him truthfully, "It's coming to me in pieces, but I know who I am again."

"And that's a bad thing?" Fushimi asked.

"No, not at all," Kaori sighed, "It's overwhelming to say the least, but I suppose it was going to happen sooner or later. I could have done without the raging headache and sharp pains in my temples, though."

He nodded slowly and hesitantly, slowly raised an arm to wrap around her shoulders. She tensed at first but quickly relaxed and allowed him to hold her against his side in an awkward embrace.

"They aren't expecting you to return to normal at the snap of a finger," Fushimi muttered low, "It's going to take time even now that you're remembering everything."

Kaori nodded slowly, feeling the tears running down her cheeks again, "Why was that thing inside of me?"

"I don't know," He frowned, "I did all of the research I could with JUNGLE's system and with Scepter 4's but I couldn't find a damn detail on what that was."

A comfortable silence fell over them as the area became dark with the night sky looming over them. Off in the distance he could hear the shouts of all of HOMRA and clicked his tongue, knowing she would be in for a huge talk once they discovered her whereabouts. Deciding to stay put, Fushimi waited until the talking got closer before he moved.

"Let's go and meet them," Fushimi stood up and then helped Kaori to her feet, "Better you face them than they find you."

Kaori nodded slowly and sighed, "Yukari will be extremely upset with me."

"I think he'll be happier to know you were with an ally," Fushimi stated, walking beside her as they made their way out of the cemetery.

"Look, it's Fushimi!"

"He's got mum! Call Kusanagi!"

Kaori bit her bottom lip as the entire Red clan closed in on them. Kyra was first to lunge at her, wrapping her arms tightly around her shoulders. Akira, Meira and Reina followed her in suit, both latching onto her in a tight embrace. Off to the side Kian and Rin stood with Chitose and Eric, both with smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. Kamamoto felt his eyes water as he held both of the Suoh twins while Tatara held a teary Anna and Kiseki, his own eyes moist at the sight.

Fushimi stood awkward to the side and watched as Yata walked up to him, "You found her?"

"Yeah," Fushimi crossed his arms and looked down at Yata, "I found her while she was walking along the sidewalk and followed her into the graveyard."

The russet boy smiled, "Thanks, Saru."

"Just because we're on speaking terms now doesn't mean you can get mushy on me, Misaki," Fushimi's lips quirked into a small grin as they both turned to look at the girls.

It wasn't long before the Special Unit arrived with the HOMRA van. Everyone piled out of the vehicles and soon Kusanagi and Mikoto were walking over to see if Kaori had come under any harm. Tatara stopped them halfway to their clan's Queen and reassured them that she'd been in safe hands, motioning to Fushimi.

Mikoto and Fushimi exchanged a mutual glance and nodded to one another before the Red King made his way over to Kaori. Kyra and Akira moved everyone away from the two so they could speak, watching as the two stared at each other in silence for a moment.

Yukari and Sukuna arrived at the scene still in a frantic notion but were quickly put at ease at the sight of Kaori safe and sound.

"You scared the hell out of all of us," Mikoto sighed and ran his hand over his hair, " _Again_. Anymore nights like this and you might be the death of me."

Kaori looked up at him and bit her bottom lip, "I'm sorry, Mikoto."

He looked at her and noticed how easily his name fell off her lips this time, "Kaori?"

"Blood red orchids," Kaori stepped forward, ignoring the gasps from the people surrounding them as she lifted her hand up to touch Mikoto's jawline with the tips of her fingers, "Who would have thought three simple flowers would have brought back the majority of my memories."

Mikoto's knees almost buckled at that, "You remember now?"

"It's coming back to me in pieces and by all means not pleasantly, but it's slowly but surely returning to normal," Kaori smiled small, "I remember that moment you took my life."

Mikoto grimaced, "Do you have to bring that up again?"

"I don't hate you for it," She sighed, "I also remember the agreement arranged for Blake to be the one to kill me, the slates being stolen, Kaen and I being taken by the Green clan, everything."

Everyone watching smiled in relief at the fact.

Kyra looked at Tatara, "We're peppering Kusanagi's bar with orchids. Kaori's not losing her memory ever again."

"Agree," Everyone said together, each with grins on their faces.

Munakata walked over to Kusanagi, "It seems you've all finally gotten your happy ending."

"It was much needed," Kusanagi sighed but the smile on his face never left, "It's about damn time, too. Seven long weeks with only small progress and now this? Mikoto's never going to let her out of his sight ever again."

The Blue King chuckled softly, "I don't imagine he will."

Off to the side, Keirsten, who had arrived with Blake, Shiro and the rest of the Silver clan, walked up to Fushimi and took his hand in her own. The two exchanged a loving gaze before looking forward.

"Does this mean you're finally moving back into the bar with me?" Mikoto couldn't help but grin.

Kaori blinked and shook her head, " _Hell no_ ," Everyone stared at her momentarily stunned and the look on Mikoto's face caused several of the spectators to choke back their laughter, "You think I'm going leave behind a house with seven bedrooms, four and a half bathrooms, a stunning master bedroom with a view of the back and a massive kitchen? Not to mention the heart and soul Yukari and I poured into that garden. No, you're moving your ass and our children into the house with me."

A huge round of laughter at Kaori's boast echoed everywhere as they all enjoyed their Red Queen's sense of humor. Blake smirked and looked at Shiro, mentioning to him that she would have to officially sign the property over now that she was finally back to her old self.

"Don't fucking do that to me," Mikoto exhaled the breath he hadn't realized he'd held in and quickly wrapped his arms around her, finally able to hold her after such a long time, "Do you have any idea how amazing this feels right now?"

Kaori nodded against his chest, "I do," Closing her eyes, she enjoyed the warmth still radiating from his body even though his powers were gone, "I'm relieved to know you're still like your own sun."

"Just for you," He leaned down and pressed his lips to her forehead, hearing several of the members clapping and cheering at the fact, "Baby, look at me."

"Mikoto, I hate it when you call me that–"

Kaori's eyes closed the instant his lips collided with hers in a passionate, yearning exchange. When he'd pulled away, all she could think of was that their kiss hadn't lasted nearly as long as she would have liked. As he eyes landed on his face, she noticed the smirk pulling at his lips and knew he'd felt the same.

* * *

 **EDIT: Next time I'm not posting a chapter where I'm half asleep so early in the morning. I fixed several parts and changed something that's taken me all this time to finally clue in to. Mikoto and Kaori have been together for EIGHT years, not five considering they've been together since they were sixteen and they're both now twenty-four. For whatever reason I had five stuck in my head... -slaps self- I'll be going to change all of the updates from every piece of work right now, sorry. ;(**

 **. . .**

 **Sorry that I stopped there, but if I kept that going I'd have nothing left for my epilogue. LOOL ;(**

 **WELL! Kaori got her memory back and all thanks to a set of beautiful orchids! For those of you who have read Pieces of Me, you'll understand why it's mentioned she doesn't like roses and loves orchids, although I explain it somewhat in this chapter. :)**

 **Also, I couldn't help with the Basashi incident. I fucking loved that part of the manga and I just couldn't help it! :'D**

 **I will be typing up the epilogue either today (it's already Friday here as I typed this up in the very early AM) or Saturday. I will also be finishing Irreversible this weekend as well for those who are interested!**

 **Pieces of Me will be updated once I've finished this series and my NagarexOC series, so don't worry! I've not abandoned it! :)**

 **I will have a special note for everyone in the next update, as well as a special announcement on a couple upcoming series! :D**

 **I love you guys and hope you enjoy this update! :)**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	15. EPILOGUE

**Well my lovelies, this is it! :'D**

 **I had tears in my eyes writing out the previous chapter and now have tears in my eyes again. I've said this before but I can't express it enough; I can't thank you all enough for joining me on this little journey with our lovely families from all of the different clans.**

 **I love you guys so much and I hope even after the end of this, I'll continue to see some of your lovely names in my review boxes for my other series! :')**

 **NOTE: NOT edited, but I will be doing just that tomorrow when I have time! :)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT**

 **Epilogue**

 **Years Gone By**

* * *

Time went by after all settled and returned to normal. It took only six months before Kaori was back to normal and remembered everything without the jolt of pain in her temple whenever she'd dig in the recesses of her mind. It was shortly after recovering her that Blake settled on signing the property over to the Red clan, happier than ever when Kaori, Mikoto and the kids moved in and made themselves at home. Reluctant at first, Mikoto finally extended the offer for both Yukari and Sukuna to become members of the Red clan to which they politely declined.

"You'll always have a place to come back to here, you two," Kaori smiled at them and gave them both a hug and kiss on the cheek before they left, "Thank you for what you've done."

That day was the beginning of the life Mikoto and Kaori always thought they would have after marriage. They got to watch their babies turn into small children that could play without fear of losing control. Of course, Kaen and Alani, now four years old, had every Red clan member wrapped around their fingers as everyone suspected they would.

As they grew, they took on the appearance of the opposite parents after many suspected different. Kaen began to resemble Kaori, even losing the brightness to his hair that dimmed to a lovely auburn shade to match his darkening eyes. Alani's hair slowly turned into the lovely red Mikoto had given her that was already passing her waist despite being unruly at times and her lovely browning amber orbs turned lighter with age.

Still, Kaen continued to follow in Mikoto's footsteps at becoming quite lazy and a man of few words.

Alani however, grew up in the shadow of Anna and enjoyed learning from her elder surrogate sister.

It was on a random day two weeks after Anna's sixteenth birthday when Kaori received an unmarked letter in the mail that really set things into motion. When she'd opened it, her jaw dropped to see a familiar signature underneath the paragraph that belonged to her mother. It had been two years since she'd heard from her mother after making amends with her before her marriage to Mikoto, but with a similar outburst from before she'd shunned her daughter away again.

"What does she want now?" Mikoto glared down at the paper in his wife's hands, "To yell at you some more? Didn't she learn that if she wants a relationship with her daughter, she needs to stop being a self-righteous bitch and get off her high horse?"

Kaori shook her head, "No. She wants to meet with us and talk. Besides, you two were getting along decently before she took another hissy fit," She looked back at him and blinked at how close he was standing behind her, "I'm going to write back but, should we bring the kids?"

"She doesn't know she's got grandchildren so that's your call," Mikoto ran a hand through his hair, "It'll just give her another reason to hate me and plot my death. She only tolerates me because she wants to have a relationship with you after realizing she was a fucking bitch back when she kicked you out."

Kaori smiled small and folded the letter before sliding it back into the envelope, "I'm going to tell her and leave the option open to her. It's only fair," She leaned back and sighed contently as Mikoto's arms circled around her waist, "I can't wait to see my sister now that she's back from school. It's been almost ten years since I've seen her, Mikoto."

"I know," He kissed the side of her head noticing she'd become teary eyed, "There was a time I would have said that neither of them deserved your attention, but I know you've been depressed that you haven't had them in your life."

Kaori nodded and closed her eyes, "Ever since dad passed away, I can't stop the idea of wanting to keep my family close."

"Well, let's just hope she's not full of shit," Mikoto sighed, "If she tries anything, I'm not holding back this time."

"I know," Kaori ran her fingers over one of his arms gently, "Just try to give her the benefit of the doubt before you pass judgement this time, okay?"

"I'll try, but it's going to be really hard for me not to be an asshole," Mikoto answered honestly.

Kaori cracked a grin at that, "I know."

. . .

 _"Have you spoken to your mother lately?"_

 _Kaori looked at Yushin and shook her head, "Yeah. She keeps in touch with me but it's not very often that I hear from her. She's still pissed that I married Mikoto, but she puts up with him because of me when we cross paths."_

 _"Shame," He chuckled, "I think she'd be pretty happy with how things are going for you after she got over the idea that you proved her wrong."_

 _"Well," Kaori rubbed the back of her neck with a grin, "She detests Mikoto so I doubt that. She'd probably die if she knew he got me pregnant."_

 _"Speaking of pregnancy," Yushin grinned, "Does he know yet?"_

 _"Nope," Kaori rubbed her belly and looked down, "I don't even know myself right now, but I keep thinking I'm feeling something moving inside of me. I go for my appointment in a week to find out."_

 _Yushin chuckled, "Honey, you're pregnant so don't you ever start with denying it. You've got that glow on your face and the bulge is all in your lower stomach. I've seen enough of my friend's wives pregnant to know what to look for. Not to mention those wicked cravings you've been telling me about."_

 _"Yeah," Kaori giggled and grinned, "Mikoto hasn't said a word, but I'm pretty sure he's curious as to why I've been eating enough food for six people lately. Hell, he's probably worried that he'll have a sniper on him when my mother finds out that she's going to have grand babies."_

 _"Damn," He chuckled and suddenly became serious, "That man," Yushin looked at her, "He's one of the good ones. Never seen someone so protective and in love with their woman before."_

 _Kaori looked at him and smiled softly, "He's definitely one in a million."_

 _"With hair like that in Japan? You got that right," He joked and chuckled, "Seriously, though. He treats you almost like you're royalty whenever he's with you."_

 _She shrugged, "He takes care of me and in return, I take care of him," She sat back and sighed, "We've been through a lot, but I wouldn't trade it for the world."_

 _"Mm," He smiled, "I need to thank that boy, Totsuka, for sending me a copy of the wedding video. Those vows were beautiful."_

 _Kaori blushed and smiled, "Mikoto and I wanted them to be special and have meaning."_

 _"Well, it definitely got my eyes watering," Yushin grinned, "You were so beautiful. I don't think he took his eyes off you for more than a few seconds, kid."_

 _She giggled, "It was a long time coming."_

 _"Eight years? I'd say. Most people don't wait that long," He chuckled, "You said he was special, so he must be something amazing."_

 _Kaori looked at him, "You know of the Kings, right?"_

 _"Yes," Yushin sat back, "I've had the pleasure of working on a contract to the late Daikaku Kokujoji."_

 _Kaori grinned, "Mikoto's is the Red King."_

 _"I knew a guy with bright red hair like that had to be a King," Yushin laughed and clapped his hands, "My baby girl married to a God damn King, well go figure."_

 _She giggled and smiled, "Yeah, but I was with him before he became a King so that doesn't count. He's still that fiery tempered, rarely smiles guy that saved me from the bullies all those years ago."_

 _"I'm a believer in things happening for a reason, so there must have been some sort of higher power that brought you two together," He smirked, "Much like how I found your mother that night she was being stalked by three drunk guys."_

 _"Mum was being stalked by drunkards?" Kaori blinked._

 _Yushin nodded, "She was trying to get away from them by pretending to talk on her phone and saying out loud that her man was going to come pick her up, but they didn't let off so I stepped in."_

 _"How romantic," Kaori grinned._

 _"Hey, it worked," Yushin defended, "I'd been seeing her around the bars at the time and wanted an excuse to talk to her, so that worked in my favor."_

 _"So did you two start dating right away?" Kaori asked._

 _He shook his head, "Not really. She avoided me like the plague for three weeks and then when she finally talked to me was one of the nights we were both at the bar and I was chatting up some other girl. She came over and told the chick I was talking to that I was her man because she didn't want any other women around me."_

 _"Sounds kind of like how she is now," Kaori giggles and grinned._

 _"Well, they say a tiger never loses their stripes so that doesn't surprise me," He smirked, "Although, she wasn't as uptight as she seems now. Must have been a combination of her parents and that asshole she married before she had you."_

 _Kaori shrugged, "Goji was a decent father to my sister and I. He actually stood up for me a few times when my mother was being mean to me."_

 _"How thoughtful," He chuckled, "I met the man once when I was on a job. He's not exactly what I'd call a friendly guy, nor is he the sharpest tool in the shed."_

 _She smirked, "He's not dealing with a full deck of cards but he managed to keep my mother happy and off my back so that's all that mattered."_

 _Yushin shook his head, "I'm sorry I didn't fight for you harder, Kaori," When she gave him a curious look he took a deep breath, "I decided school was more important than getting my kid and leaving Japan so you'd have a life away from her family. I know what they're like and I understand what your husband's gone through because just like him, I was looked at like I was a piece of gum stuck on one of their shoes."_

 _"I don't blame you for that, dad," Kaori assured him, "I'm just glad I got to meet you and have you in my life."_

 _He smiled, "Well, let's hope I'm not going anywhere for a good, long while."_

 **\- x -**

"I think this was a mistake," Mikoto muttered low as they walked towards the door to Kaori's mother's house, "Suddenly I feel like shit. I think I need to go home."

Kaori glared up at him, "Oh, stop it."

Alani looked up at Mikoto and blinked, "Is this lady a nice lady?"

"I'd prefer not to answer that, 'lani."

Alani nodded and gripped Kaori's hand tighter as she, her brother and Anna followed their parents up the steps. Kaen watched his father's expression carefully and tugged on his jacket slightly, to which Mikoto looked down at him and placed a hand on his head to ruffle his auburn hair.

As soon as the door opened, Kaori went wide eyed, "Uhie?"

"Kaori?!" Uhie suddenly flung her arms around the girl and grinned brightly, "Holy crap, you look amazing!"

"I could say the same to you!" Kaori looked at her absolutely stupefied, "You're all grown up."

Uhie grinned brightly, "Yeah! Top of my class at the international school and also in my college courses."

"Figures," Kaori smirked at her, "You were the brains and apparently I was the one who got the brawn's."

"Considering who you married, I'd say," Uhie giggled and looked behind her to see Anna, "Wow, who is this?"

Kaori looked back and smiled, "Let's go inside and I'll introduce you to everyone," She ushered her two children in while Uhie stood there with her jaw slack.

"Mum was right, you did have kids," Uhie blinked several times, "I thought she was lying at first but there's no mistaking who their father is."

Mikoto grinned slightly and reached up to place a hand on her head, "Nice to see you too, kid."

Uhie giggled and shut the door once everyone was inside and led them all to the living room, "So are you guys still living at that bar?"

"No, we have a home now," Kaori smiled, "Although, it's still pretty giant for just us so we're moving a couple of the guys from HOMRA in."

"Where are you living?" Her brow rose.

Kaori sat down on one of the plush sofas with Alani crawling onto her lap to sit with her, "Blake Tadashi sold us a home just outside of Shizume City. You should see it, Uhie. It's absolutely stunning and has the biggest enclosed garden I've ever seen."

"Can I come visit sometime?" Uhie smiled brightly, "I'd love to see it."

"Of course," Kaori winked.

Uhie looked at the two children sitting in between Kaori and Mikoto with a beautiful smile, "So what are your names?"

"Alani," Alani blushed and hid her face in her mother's arm, only peeking out slightly when she thought the attention was directed towards her brother.

Kaen was less bashful and more towards his father's side, "Kaen."

"Lovely names," Uhie was smiling even as she looked at Anna, "So you must be the one Kaori adopted a while back... Anna, is it?"

She nodded with a smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"So, where's your man?" Mikoto suddenly asked with a brow raising, "I figured you'd be married off too."

Kaori slapped his arm gently as somewhat of a warning to behave himself before Uhie's cheeks went red and she looked away, "About that..."

"Uhie?" Kaori looked at her.

"I don't have a boyfriend," Uhie was red and still avoiding their eyes, "I have a girlfriend..."

"Really?" Kaori smiled softly, "Nothing to be ashamed of, Uhie."

"Tell that to mum," She muttered, "I had the longest scolding of my life when I introduced her to Melanie. She even threatened to send me to a psychiatrist for an evaluation and proper medication because she had it in her mind I was _"mentally unbalanced"_."

Mikoto looked at her, "You'd think that she'd get over controlling your lives after what she went through with Kaori."

"Yeah, really," Kaori sighed, "I figured Mikoto would have opened her eyes, but apparently not."

Uhie looked at Kaori, "You're really not ashamed or mad at me for it?"

"No!" Kaori glared, "Why the hell would I be? To each their own, Uhie!"

Uhie smiled small and giggled, "You'd like her. She reminds me a little of you with her free spirit and lack of discipline."

"Hey!" Kaori snorted while Mikoto smirked, "Oh, don't you start."

Anna watched them from her spot on the sofa chair beside the couch Kaori and Mikoto were currently occupying and smiled. She found it very interesting to watch her surrogate mother interact with family that Mikoto had once referred to as a group of 'backstabbing cocksuckers that had nothing better to do with their lives other than to ruin people's lives. From her personal perspective, Kaori's sister seemed very nice and had a very nice, gentle aura.

"Daddy," Alani looked at her, "Why does auntie Uhie have a girlfriend?"

Kaori was about to intercept him when he spoke before she got the chance to stop him, "Some ladies enjoy comfort and attention from other ladies just like some men enjoy the same from men. Just like mum and me, it's perfectly normal and it's a choice."

Alani nodded while both Uhie and Kaori stared at him, "Well, that was a lot tamer than I thought."

"Give me some damn credit," Mikoto glared halfheartedly.

"So, you guys showed up."

Kaori and a tense Mikoto looked over as her mother walked into the living room. She looked less than impressed but both could tell she was trying to be pleasant as her eyes landed on their twins before flickering to Anna.

"They looked like him," She said as she took a seat across the room, "Same red hair and sharp face but that one looks nothing like you two," She pointed towards Anna, "I'm assuming that's the adopted one."

Kaori frowned, "They have names, mum."

"Which you haven't told me yet," She sat back and looked at Alani and Kaen, "Let's start with your twins."

Kaen looked at her while Alani coward in her mother's arm again, "I'm Kaen and my sister's name is Alani."

"I see," The woman's manicured brow rose, "Can't your sister answer for herself?"

Kaori looked at her, "Mum, she's shy. She's four years old and is allowed to be bashful."

"I raised you and your sister to be better than that," She sighed, "Looks like your time away from your family has made you soft."

Kaori frowned, "Mum..."

"What about you?" The woman narrowed her eyes at Anna, not entirely enjoying the fact she was not related by flesh and blood in any way.

Anna didn't shrink under the woman's scrutinizing gaze, "My name is Anna."

"I see."

Both Uhie and Kaori stared at their mother in disbelief while Mikoto's jaw tensed, "Can we move on to a better topic?"

"I suppose," She looked right at him, "Have you finally got a job and stopped with your petty gang fights?"

Kaori had to grip Mikoto's hand to bring him back down to earth before his temper lifted him right off his feet, "Mum, you said it was important so can we please leave the disputes between you and Mikoto for when my children aren't here to see it?"

"Fine," She looked at Kaori, completely ignoring the death stare Mikoto was giving her and the disappointed looked she was receiving from both children and Anna, "This has to do with your late father's will. The fool appointed me as the one responsible to hand out his assets, so that's why I had you come here."

Kaori nodded slowly and waited for her mother to speak while Mikoto sat back against the couch, ignoring the glare from his mother-in-law.

"As you know, he was killed on the job during a freak accident so we had to settle everything quickly to get all of his affairs in order. Your father left you his entire savings funds as well as his most valuable pieces in the house," Her mother started, "He always gave you permission to decide what it is you wish to do with his property."

Kaori nodded and looked at Mikoto, "I guess that means I have a lawyer to visit soon."

"To have left you with any amount of money while you're with _him_ ," Her mother muttered low but Mikoto still caught it.

His knuckles turned white as he gripped the fabric of his jeans and grunted low. He had to bite his tongue to fight back what wanted so badly to come out even as her eyes met his own in a taunting way.

"Another thing your father left was all of his work books from his time in school," Her eyes were locked on Mikoto's, "Maybe you can do something useful and follow Yushin's path to becoming an engineer and actually support your... _Humble_ little family."

Uhie frowned, "Mum, you promised to be nice."

"I am being nice," She crossed her arms under her bust, "I'm still less than impressed my eldest daughter married into a gang, let alone a man who fights and had most likely killed people before."

Kaori could feel Alani shaking against her arm while Kaen glared at his grandmother.

First impressions were supposed to count, but apparently this woman sitting across from them still didn't care.

"Mum," Kaori took a deep breath before meeting her eyes, "I'm going to have to ask you not to insult my husband, let alone in front of my children."

Her eyes rolled, "Oh yes, your spawns that had his blood. Nothing but filthy gutter rats that–"

"Don't you dare insult our kids," Mikoto's eyes narrowed dangerously, "I know you can't bite your damn tongue when it comes to me but have some fucking self-respect and act like an adult in front of the kids. They're four years old and were looking forward to meeting you."

Kaori looked at Mikoto and frowned, knowing he didn't mean to swear in front of Kaen and Alani but judging from the narrowed eyes and taut jawline, reasoning with him was meaningless.

" _Our_ kids?" She scoffed, "They're more you than Kaori. If they were like their mother they would have been bred with class, not with the likes of you."

That got her attention and forced Kaori narrowed her eyes, "If there isn't anything else, we're done here."

"So you're going to take his side?"

"I am," Kaori rubbed Alani's back in a soothing manner and looked Kaen with a calm expression on her face before regarding her mother, "You may have your way of doing things, but so do we. I won't let you disrespect my family anymore and if you continue to do that, then whatever this is, is done."

"Fine," Her mother stood up, "Here are the papers that you'll need for the lawyer."

Kaori gently moved Alani off her and stood up to meet her mother in the middle of the floor, accepting the folder that was being held out to her, "Thanks."

"I hope you're happy with what you've got and who you're sharing it with," Her eyes narrowed, "That bastard is probably only with you for your money like most of his kind."

"Mother," Kaori glared, "Enough. This is done and over. Mikoto is a permanent part of my life and is not going anywhere. I went through hell and back to get my family back, so don't you dare insult any of them while in front of me."

She smiled a sickeningly sweet smile, "You're right, this is done."

Uhie stood up and glared, "Mum, you were so happy when you heard back from Kaori so what the hell? What changed?"

"I can't accept him," She pointed to Mikoto, "I can't and won't accept the fact he's a part of this family, nor will I accept _his spawns_ that came out of my own daughter."

Mikoto looked at Anna and stood up, "We're leaving," Kaori looked back at him and nodded as Anna picked up Alani while he scooped Kaen up in his arms, "We'll be out in the van waiting for you."

Dark eyes watched as Mikoto walked to Kaori and leaned down to kiss the top of her head affectionately before he left with their kids. Uhie watched and looked at her mother with a disbelieving stare as Kaori frowned and crossed her arms.

"Does this have anything to do with dad?" Kaori narrowed her eyes, "This hate-on you have for Mikoto... Is this your way of lashing out because of him?"

Her mother tensed considerably, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I think you do. I've had a lot of time to ponder over why it was you hated him so much, and now it all boils down to this," Kaori squared herself off and faced her mother much like she did that day she left with Mikoto, "Just talk to me mum and tell me what the hell it is that's so wrong with him?"

"You want the truth, Kaori? Fine, I'll give you the truth," She narrowed her eyes at her eldest daughter, "Yes, it's true. He reminds me of Yushin and seeing the two of you reminds me of what I could have had if I hadn't of been under the thumb of my mother. The amazing sex that made me feel like I was really alive, the love and affection, all of the endless possibilities and everything I had with him was thrown away when she put a stop to my dating him."

Uhie stared at her mother as Kaori nodded slowly in a knowing way, "Do you regret not leaving like I did?"

"I do," She looked away, "You did what I should have done when I found out I was pregnant with you but when I met Uhie's father, he was someone my mother wanted to introduce to me. You could say she arranged that marriage."

Kaori frowned, "You know, I never understood why you reacted so violently when I wanted to be with Mikoto, but now it makes perfect sense. Thank you for finally telling me the truth."

"You have the life I always wanted," Her mother looked at her, "When I look at Mikoto, I see the life I could have had and that makes me angry."

"Don't take this out on him," Kaori tried to reason, "Mum, please, don't take this out on him or the rest of my family."

She looked at Kaori, "I don't think I'll ever be able to get over that grudge Kaori, so you may want to let go of that pipe dream."

. . .

Eventually, Kaori and her mother came to an understanding and her hatred for Mikoto began to slowly diminish. It took a long time before he got over the fact she slandered him and had also taken some of her aggression out on their children, but after many hour of mentally debating his choices, he'd decided to be the better person and accepted her apology no matter the amount of truth was actually in it. Things got better after the two finally sat down one on one without any other interference and laid everything out on the table. Shortly after that, it seemed like things finally fell into place.

There came a point in time where she actually began to enjoy their presence and often times asked for the kids to remain at her house while Mikoto and Kaori did errands. Slowly but surely, Alani opened up to her grandmother but it took a while before Kaen finally settled in and accepted her status in his life.

Anna was also somewhat skeptical whenever she would her siblings on one of their many trips to Kaori and Uhie's mothers' house. Like the twins, she too slowly began to feel comfortable and started to enjoy her visits.

It took a lot of time and patience, but she had finally begun to act like the grandmother any child would want.

After a while, Uhie had introduced Melanie to all of the family her mother separated her from for so long and had been touched by HOMRA's kindness and acceptance. Would Mikoto have still had his flames, perhaps the two would have even become members and been fully accepted into the clan.

"Wow, this house is incredible!" Uhie went wide eyed as she and Melanie stepped foot into the Suoh household, "You weren't kidding, this place is huge!"

Kaori grinned, "You've only stepped into the entryway. Wait until you see everything else."

"Lead on, sister!" Uhie grinned back enthusiastically, following her elder sibling with excitement as she pulled her blond lover behind her, "I can't wait to see you garden."

Kaori looked back at her, "We recently got one of those greenhouse roofing panels put over top so I can have control over the temperature and now have an exotic garden. It's my favorite place to be."

"Really? Melanie blinked, "I didn't think the soil here would be enough."

"You'd be surprised what a green thumb and a ton of love and care can do for anything you want to grow," Kaori smiled at her, "Come on, I'll show you guys the kitchen."

As they made their way around the house, Kaori showed them all of the children's rooms and the main sitting area. She'd also shown them the dojo that was previously used by her and Yukari for their yoga sessions, but now became a home to HOMRA's extra weapons and tools for patrols. Their next stop was the master bedroom, where both Uhie and Melanie went wide eyed and drooled a little.

"Wow," Uhie stared, "This place is unreal."

Kaori smiled, "Blake's uncle had this place specially done to his tailored requests so that one day she could raise her family in here, but she gave it to us after deciding to move into his old home after he'd passed away."

"Wow, that's incredibly nice of them both," Uhie and Melanie both looked at her.

Kaori nodded and sighed contently, "I wouldn't be here if it hadn't of been for her help along with the other Kings."

Melanie blinked, "Kings?"

"It would be a little too difficult to explain right now," Kaori giggled, "Come on, let's continue the tour of the house."

They made their way towards the back and stopped long enough to admire the "ginormous kitchen" as dubbed by Melanie, before finally making it to the back steps where the doors were wide open for all to see.

At first sight, there was a stone path that circled everywhere in the large space and gave it a very rich feel it the garden. There was a magnificent center piece that looked like a flame carved in stone with arrangements of red and pink hues of all shades surrounding it. To the right of the statue was a two-person stone bench that sat nestled under what looked like two palm trees with vines of orchids hanging down just above where a person's head would be. To the left of the entire area was a decent sized vegetable garden and what looked like a fruit tree, but neither girl was sure enough to ask.

Looking up to the clear ceiling, one would see vines wrapped around the support beams as well as hanging baskets with assorted flowers of all colors and types.

"Wow," Uhie stared at the garden, "I thought the master bedroom was unreal, but that's got nothing on this place. Are these really all tropical plants?"

Kaori nodded proudly, "About ninety-five percent of them are and the others over in to the right are domestic plants. I also have a vegetable garden planted and the kids have an apple tree blooming wonderfully over to the left on its own. Once it's ready to be planted elsewhere, I'll probably find something to replace it quickly."

"How much time do you spend in here?" Melanie looked at her, "You must work from home or something to have the time to take care of the kids and do this."

Kaori looked at her, "You could say I'm a stay-at-home mum since Mikoto likes keeping an eye on all of us, but I don't mind. I have plenty to keep me entertained and we're almost always at the bar HOMRA."

"Are you planning on hosting a wedding here?" Uhie looked up at her sister with wide eyes, "You could make a killing off renting this place out!"

She giggled at her sisters' enthusiasm, "Well, Kyra and Tatara are now engaged and will be married out here in my garden, but I'd have to pass on renting it out. I prefer keeping this hidden gem a family secret."

"When are Kyra and Tatara getting married?" Uhie smiled.

Kaori shrugged, "They haven't decided yet. It will most likely be a spur of the moment thing, considering who it is we're talking about. I love them both dearly but they're both a little slow when it comes to these things."

Both Uhie and Melanie giggled at her answer.

 **\- x -**

"It's been quite the adventure, hasn't it?" Tatara looked down at Kyra as she smiled a teary smile up at him, "We've been together for just over five years and already we have the perfect family. We have a beautiful daughter and great friends, not to mention another little one on the way."

Kaori and Akira grinned at one another, having known Kyra was a few months along already before looking back to the couple who were ironically being married by none other than Shiro himself.

Kyra giggled and smiled up at him, "That day you found me painting at the park I knew I had to be there."

"It must have been a sign," Tatara gripped her hands tightly in his own, "Kyra, I've loved you since the very beginning and will continue to love even after death has done us part. You and Kiseki are my life and now I feel like we can fully start living it together."

All of HOMRA cheered as he leaned down and kissed his newly wedded wife passionately in a display of affection no one would have ever suspected Tatara capable of. Off to the side beside him stood a smirking Mikoto and Kusanagi as they clapped in congratulations. Akira and Kaori also clapped, both happily watching the newlyweds with tears in their eyes.

"Now it's your turn, Izumo," Tatara held Kyra closely as he peeked over his shoulder towards the older blond and winked, "Should we marry you here and now?"

Kyra giggled against his chest before pulling away, "A double wedding!"

Akira looked at everyone confused before going red, seeing Kyra pulled the clip for her vale out of her hair and walked over to her, "Kyra?"

"Surprise!" She grinned brightly, "It's your turn to say the vows!"

Kusanagi watched the two and chuckled before stepping up in front of Shiro, who was smiling a very knowing smile as he watched a stunned Akira being gently pushed up and into place by Kyra and Kaori. Mikoto walked up and gave Kusanagi a quick pat on his shoulder before stepping back to stand by Tatara with a smirk on his lips.

"Well," Shiro gave a closed-eyed smile, "The more the merrier!"

Akira looked up at Kusanagi trying not to gawk in surprise, "When did you plan this?!"

"Just today in the dressing room with Tatara," He replied smoothly with a handsome grin, "I figured since we're already dressed, why not?"

Akira could only nod, still somewhat speechless that this was unfolding.

"If you're looking for the masterminds behind this, please direct your questions to your bridesmaids and possibly Blake," Kusanagi chuckled, his eyes flickering to the two innocent looking ladies behind Akira.

With no objections, another marriage fell upon the family of HOMRA. It was a spectacular day with more than just two reasons to celebrate and ended with laughter and smiles from everyone. Not only did Tatara marry Kyra and Kusanagi finally settled down, but Yata (bashfully) proposed to Reina and shocked the entire crew at his bold move.

It had been later revealed that Mikoto had a hand in psyching Yata up, having been the instigator for both instances with permission from Tatara, of course.

"So," Kyra looked at Akira, "Still shocked that you just got married on extremely short notice?"

"A little," She giggles and looked down at the ring Kusanagi had put on her finger, "He outdid himself."

Kaori looked at her and smiled, "He's planned this for months."

"Really?" Akira stared at her.

Rin and Kian nodded with grins on their faces while Meira and Reina winked. Kaori and Kyra watched the elder woman with innocent smiles as Akira sighed.

"Figures," She giggled, "I was wondering why he was acting strange."

"Just be glad Kusanagi can play shit like that off," Blake grinned, "When Shiro proposed, he couldn't stop blushing or fumbling over his words and I had to practically say them for him."

They all shared a good laugh before Rin looked at Akira with a smirk, "If it makes a difference, only Mikoto and Tatara knew about it until this morning."

"Mm," Meira and Kian nodded, "He made sure no one figured it out or would assume anything."

"He was crafty," Kaori grinned, "Although, it was Tatara that worried him and Mikoto the most because we all know what Tatara gets like when he's excited."

Akira giggled and sighed, "Yeah, this is true."

Looking over, all of the girls grinned as Yata and Reina went off on their own to celebrate their engagement _in private_ , "Well, we know what they're doing."

"Oh yeah," Several of the girls nodded in agreement.

Later on while everyone settled with their loved ones and continued to enjoy the after party of the two marriages, Mikoto pulled Kaori off to the side and looked down at her with his brow raising.

"What's got you so emotional?" He slipped behind her and wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.

"It's like watching my kids growing up," Kaori dabbed her eyes with a tissue and looked up at Mikoto, "Everyone's getting married or is engaged."

Mikoto chuckled and rubbed her arms gently, "It's hard to believe that we've all come this far."

"It is," She smiled, "We've got to watch all of these people join one at a time and become members of our family."

He nodded, "Mm. Then along came some kids."

"Yeah," She giggled, "Although ours don't count right away because I couldn't get pregnant before you married me."

He shrugged, "Still counts to me."

Kaori grinned, "I've said this a million times, but you're impossible."

"That's why you love me."

* * *

 **And that is it, people!**

 **A sequel to a series I didn't expect to actually become a series when I originally released Yata and Fushimi's one shots! It's been incredible to see all of you fellow K-Project lovers, negative or positive! I always say this but I really do love each and every one of my readers, so I dedicate this entire series to all of you.**

 **You guys rock. :')**

 **. . .**

 **Mrs.1DJessup – Yes, unfortunately the end has come! Thank you so much for the love you've given for this series my darling! It's so appreciated! :')**

 **MissAnimeMiss – I hear you! I have so many feels ending such an incredible journey here, but I hope everything was up to your expectations and I provided realistic characters for you all! I've appreciated all of your compliments and all of your reviews! :'D (see below for the answer to your question)**

 **Halloween Witch – Ahhh~ My darling Halloween Witch! I'm so happy you've joined me for this journey and have appreciated every single review and compliment you've done! As for the black aura, I was going to explain it but all in all, it was just something that was inside of Kaori. A full other entity, but not. :')**

 **. . .**

 **If I have missed ANY reviews, I apologize and just want you all to know that I love you all so much! Unfortunately I can't see them all on my series when I go to look them up, so I had to dig through my emails to find them all but I couldn't tell if I'd gotten them all.**

 **NOW.**

 **Special announcements. :'D**

 **To answer my darling MissAnimeMiss's question: YES, there will be a side story with our lovely Yata and Reina! I don't know where I'm going to start it off nor do I know when I'll have time to start it, but just know that it will be out eventually! ;D**

 **Second thing is that I will be doing a Naruto short story for those who enjoy that series. Some of you had read my Madara Uchiha short story and told me you enjoyed it, so I've decided to dig up the Izuna Uchiha request that the user had asked me to cancel and will be posting that once again. I really LOVE the two Uchiha brother's from the elder days and wish they hadn't of killed Izuna off so soon. According to all of the data books from real sources, he was nothing like his brother and was in fact a complete opposite, so it would have been interesting to see him and Madara interact other than the few short blurbs during the flashback a Hashirama told the story to Sasuke.**

 **So! A Yata/Reina miniseries as well as a miniseries for the lovable Izuna Uchiha! I'm psyched to start them and will most likely begin them once Irreversible is done.**

 **Speaking of which, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to finish that for those of you who are reading both. I'm back to school now and haven't been sleeping good for the past three days so I've been a little under the weather.**

 **As always, I love you guys so much and I hope we can continue this friendship even now that we're done this journey with the Red clan and their lovable family. :)**

 **Also, for those of you wondering, Irreversible will be updated within the next twenty-four hours! ;)**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	16. EPILOGUE - Extended Ending

**Hey guys, Kayori here.**

 **So first off I just want to say a little something for the user who shall remain nameless who rudely messaged me the other night literally demanding that I write about Scepter 4 because, how dare I not include them. This person even went as far as insulting me as a writer because of my lack of detail when, SHOCKER, the story is mostly based off HOMRA and their family.**

 **I'd like to ask this before I go any further: Who the hell do you think you are messaging me _demanding_ things and then _insulting_ me?**

 **Usually I don't let these things bother me but I just need to let something off my chest so I can move on. As a writer, we all go under the eyes on whomever reads our work and of course that comes with opinions and critiques. I understand that fully and am very open to those who like to add their input to make the stories I write better, but there's a fine line that I draw before I get to that point of aggravation.**

 **I write these stories because like everyone else, I enjoy the fandom and wish to experience the joys of creating my own little alternate scenario to go along with the original story line. We all have our own ideas and thoughts on how we would rather things have gone and each and every one of us is guilty of thinking that "this person should have done this" or "that person should have been with them/done that".**

 **As for this person, I found it incredibly rude to be messaged and called out as such because of a simple reason and it could have all been avoided if they'd of asked me politely to do an extended ending or at least brought it up. I try to cater to all of my readers, but as a writer and I know a lot of you will understand what I'm about to say, _you can't please everybody_.**

 **Anyways, now that I got that off my chest, I'd like to dish out what would have been a nice surprise to some of you who most likely thought I'd forgotten about them. Also, some other Red clan members will be added into this, as pointed out by a Guest reviewer. :)**

 **To those who actually read the notes at the beginning of the chapter, please know that I'm not calling names or pointing fingers at anyone in particular other than this individual and it has already been dealt with. :)**

* * *

 **BREAKING POINT**

 _ **Extended Ending**_

* * *

"Akiyama, would you mind covering for me today?" A tired Fushimi asked as he stood up from his chair, his arms immediately lifting above his head into the air as he stretched his entire body upwards.

Akiyama nodded and watched him, "Finally going to get some sleep?"

"Mm," Fushimi ran his fingers through his messy dark tresses before finally exiting the room he'd occupied for over sixteen hours straight.

All of the Special Unit that worked under the quiet, snappy individual watched as he left before exchanging worried glances.

"He's been working a lot of hours ever since he got back from that special mission the captain sent him on when he'd left for three days out of town," Benzai frowned, "Do you think he's stressed?"

Kamo looked at him, "Even Fushimi isn't bionic, so the strain of fatigue and being over-worked will definitely catch up to him."

"Agreed," Akiyama nodded, "So let's try and ease the burden a little by getting some of this work done for him."

All of the members nodded in agreement and quickly got to work.

In the hall, Fushimi pocketed his hands and kept his eyes forward as he sauntered tiredly towards the male dormitory. He'd finally resigned to the fact that his eyes could no longer stare at the tiny print of papers on his desk or at the bright screen of his laptop. That, and his ever famous coffee beverages were no longer keeping the tiredness at bay anymore.

Munakata had noticed back when the entire situation with JUNGLE had been resolved that there had been a significant change in the silent third in command. He'd become a lot more introverted and rarely left his room other than to go out of the building on personal business. He'd also noticed that Fushimi had begun to shed weight at an alarming rate, but refused to take a lesser workload. Even Awashima had tried to reason with him, going as far as involving Keirsten but it was later found out that she and the one in question were currently at a disagreement in their relationship.

One good thing had come out of the entire scenario and that it was Yata who was able to finally pull his long-term friend from the shadows. Everyone around them thought he had made progress, but as quickly as things began to look good they very quickly went back to normal with the same, broody Fushimi wandering the halls restlessly.

"I'm worried about him," Eri frowned and looked at Munakata, "Maybe you should force him to take some time off?"

Munakata looked up from his papers and met her eye, "I've already tried reasoning with Mister Fushimi on taking stress leave, but he refuses each and every time. I cannot force him unless I dismiss him, which is something I'm not willing to do."

"There has to be something we can do," Eri bit her bottom lip, "He'll run himself into the ground if we don't."

He nodded in understanding, "I wish there was a solution to this, Eri, but unfortunately I can only do so much," Pushing his chair back, he stood up and walked around his desk so he was in front of his lover, "Things will work out eventually, we just have to be patient. I don't believe he's so weak minded that he would allow himself to wither away and die."

"Don't jinx it, Reisi," She looked up at him and sighed before circling her arms around his waist, "Speaking of overworking and taking time off, you should take your own advice and do the same."

He smiled down at her and stroked her hair gently, "I will do my best."

"You better," She muttered against the fabric of his blue uniform jacket.

. . .

"Tell me again why we're doing this?" Chitose's brow rose as he followed Yata, who had asked him to bring Rin along for their secret adventure.

Yata looked back at him, "If I tell you now you'll want to turn around and head back, so just follow me and stop asking questions."

Rin gave Chitose's hand a squeeze but said nothing.

He muttered something under his breath before glaring ahead, "Does this have anything to do with Fushimi?"

"I said no more questions," Yata bit back in a very irritated manner.

Reina frowned, "Don't take this out on him, Yata."

"Sorry," He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck roughly with the tips of his fingers, "I'm just frustrated, is all."

Kamamoto and Meira walked behind the small group and noticed they were approaching an unfamiliar place where the apartment buildings were almost as tall as skyscrapers and were surrounded by small shopping centers.

"Wow, this place must be a newer part of town," Meira studied everything she could with hungry, curious eyes, "Have you been at this end, Rikio?"

He shook his head, "No, but Yata comes here often."

Rin looked at the plump man following behind her, "I have a feeling I know why we're here," When Meira mouthed 'Fushimi', Rin only nodded and said nothing, knowing Chitose still harbored ill feelings towards the man.

Kamamoto's eyes narrowed slightly from behind his glasses and inhaled deeply to prepare for what he was about to say, but was cut off by Meira with a stern gaze.

"To lighten the mood, have you and Reina planned on where you guys want to be married?" Rin asked, gaining Reina's attention but not the focused vanguards.

Reina shrugged, "We haven't talked much about it yet, but we're thinking of doing something different than mum, Kyra and Akira's weddings."

"Like an amusement park?" Meira's eyes almost sparkled at the idea, feeling her inner child blossoming at the thought while Kamamoto shook his head with a grin on his face.

Reina giggled loudly at her and grinned, "Just for you, I'll pitch that idea when the time comes!"

Finally, the group arrived at one of the smaller buildings nestled between two taller ones and walked in through the automatic sliding doors. When inside, they admired the very classy but very modern design that met their eyes.

"Come on," Yata motioned for everyone to follow him and soon the six of them packed themselves into one of the elevators as he pushed the button to the ninth floor.

"So," Kamamoto looked at Yata, "Going to finally tell us where we're going? We're obviously in an apartment building, so spill."

Yata ignored him and once the doors were open, he took Reina's hand and led her out while the rest of the crew followed him.

"What are Kian and Eric up to today?" Meira suddenly asked as she looked at Chitose, "They weren't at the bar when we were there. Come to think of it, neither was Kosuke and Mia."

"They were heading to Ashinaka High School to enroll Mia in some classes," Chitose looked over his shoulder at her, "Kian was also thinking of doing some upgrades and there was talk of enrolling Eric as well."

Kamamoto grinned, "Knowing Kian, she's not going to give him a choice."

"Never mind her, it was Kusanagi who insisted," Chitose chuckled.

"I haven't talked much with Mia, but she seems very nice," Rin pointed out, looking at Meira as she watched the smaller girl smile.

"She's nice but she's still so reluctant to be around everyone," Meira sighed, "Even now that she's been around us all for all these years, she's still guarded."

Kamamoto smiled, "She'll come around eventually. Kosuke seems to think so, at least."

"She will," Meira nodded in agreement.

"Alright, here we are," Yata stopped in front of one of the doors at the very end of the hall and looked at everyone but more so pointedly at Rin before using the key he had in his pocket to open the door.

Reina walked I closely behind him followed by everyone else and once the door closed, Yata placed his hand on his hips and stared at the figure sitting on the black leather sofa.

Keirsten looked at all of her guests and blinked, "Hello?"

"Where is he?" Yata's brow rose, "This is an intervention."

She suddenly scowled, "He hasn't been here for over a week and quite frankly, I'm getting a little tired of always having to rebound from his mood swings."

"So he's still at work?" The russet boy glared, "Damn it, why the hell is he being like this?!"

Reina placed a hand on Yata's shoulder and frowned, "Calm down. Getting upset won't do you any good."

"Since you're all here, would you like something to drink?" Keirsten stood up, "I have some tea brewing on the stove."

Meira and Rin both nodded while Kamamoto shoved a very ticked off and reluctant Chitose forward towards the living room, forcing him to sit down on one of the plush armchairs.

"You guys are still not talking?" Rin asked, having followed Keirsten into the kitchen while everyone else went and made themselves comfortable.

She shook her head, "I've been trying to get a hold of him now that I'm not pissed as fuck at him anymore. I don't think he realizes that what he says sometimes really has an impact on my feelings."

"He's used to be cold and abrasive," Rin reached for some cups in the cupboards and sets them down on the counter, "Kaori told me his father had a huge psychological impact on him when he was a child, so this might be the way he feels he's able to release that anger. It's unfortunately being directed at you, although I honestly don't think it's intentional."

Keirsten frowned and nodded, "Yeah, which is why I asked Yata to bring you so that maybe you could talk some sense into him."

"I wish I could, but I don't think I'll be much help," Rin frowned, "I'll do my best, but I have a hard time believing that he'll listen to what I have to say."

"We could always sick Mikoto on him again," Keirsten thought aloud, earning a soft giggle from the girl beside her, "He seemed to smarten up for a while after getting his ass verbally kicked by him."

"Kaori and Tatara would probably be the next best option," Rin pointed out, "They've both dealt with Fushimi a lot longer than we have and would know what to say."

"I suppose but, at least see what you can do?" Keirsten gave her a pleading look, "I'm really worried about him. He's lost weight, his appetite is practically nothing and he's becoming an insomniac that lives off of caffeinated drinks that you get out of the vending machines."

"He's depressed, I can tell you that much for certain," Rin placed the full cups of tea onto a tray as Keirsten filled them, "If it's just something simple like that, I can have my colleague write him a prescription for anti-depressants and an anti-anxiety medication that will help induce sleep."

Keirsten looked up at her, "If I knew that he would take them and be honest about it, I'd say go ahead and do it but I don't trust him not to throw them out the minute they land in his hands."

"If we could convince him to come back, you could always hide them in his food," She pointed out, "We have a few patients who refused to take their medications and that's what we do, but I won't force it on him if he's really against it."

"Yeah," Keirsten sighed and rubbed her forehead, "I wish he'd just let me in and tell me what's really bothering him."

"I don't really like saying this, but there may come a day when he tells you or he may never tell you everything," Rin told her honestly, "You just have to be willing to accept whatever decision he makes."

"And I am," She said earnestly.

Rin smiled small at her and followed her out of the kitchen and into the living room, where a much unexpected sight lay before them.

"Saru?" Keirsten went wide eyed, seeing her narrow-eyed boyfriend currently in a stare down with Chitose, "You finally came home."

"I figured I would come here and actually enjoy some peace and quiet, but apparently that's not the case," He growled, "What the hell are they all doing here?"

Keirsten frowned, "Saru, they're all worried sick about you."

Fushimi scoffed, "Like I care," Turning on his heel, he headed straight for the narrow hallway leading towards their bedroom when Yata cut him off, "Misaki, I'm not in the mood."

"Well too fucking bad," He glared up at his closest friend, "We're staging an intervention and starting right now, you're going to sit your ass down on that couch and listen to what we all have to say."

Fushimi and Yata stared at one another for a long while, both of them glaring at one another and neither one budging an inch.

Rin had taken the tray from Keirsten's hands and watched as she approached the tall, thin male and reached for his hand only to be roughly brushed off, "Saruhiko," He never turned to look at her, "This has to stop."

"I'm fine," He insisted in an irritated voice.

"No you're not," She persisted, finally able to take his hand in her own and gripped it tightly even as he attempted to rip it out of her grasp.

It happened so fast that Keirsten had no time to react as Fushimi spun around and slammed her into the wall beside them, his eyes narrowing down at her while Yata lunged forward to grab him and pull him away. It shocked not only Keirsten, but both Rin and Meira as well.

Chitose and Kamamoto were quick to rush over to help Yata, having grabbed onto the boy's jacket and literally drug him to the couch.

"Alright, that's it! I don't give a fuck how pissed you are, you don't fucking take it out on your woman," Yata glared daggers at Fushimi, "Now talk, or do I have to beat the shit out of you first?"

"Get the hell out of here," Fushimi glared back with equal ferocity.

Keirsten watched from her spot against the wall and flinched when Meira touched her shoulder, "Saru..."

. . .

"Ah, so you've been here the entire time!"

Hana looked over and smiled as Akiyama approached her, "I figured since it's a slow day that I'd come in here and relax."

"Lucky you," He sighed, taking a seat beside her and smiled when she leaned against him, "We just finished the piles of paperwork and just now getting a break."

"Poor you," She grinned, "Although, that's to be expected when you're under Fushimi."

He nodded, "Well, he's been a lot different lately but he does so much that we figured we'd take some weight off his shoulders."

"That's very nice of you all," Hana looked at him, "Speaking of him, has he been feeling alright?"

Akiyama shrugged, "We don't know anymore," Leaning forward, his gave the side of her head a quick kiss before smiling, "Let's not talk about him, though. We both have the evening off so would you like to go anywhere?"

"Hmm, maybe to that restaurant across from the market you always bring me to in the summer," Hana smiled, "It's been a while since we've eaten there."

"It has," He sighed, "On days like this it makes me feel like a lousy boyfriend."

Hana chastised him, "Shush your mouth. Don't you say such things or else you'll get your ass beat."

Akiyama chuckled and grinned, "When you at that way it makes you sound like you're an old grandmother."

"Ohhhh, you're asking for it," She narrowed her eyes playfully at him.

. . .

"Done!" Domyouji stretched back against the back of his chair and groaned in relief as his spine cracked in several places, "I didn't think these papers would ever end!"

Fuse and Enomoto nodded in agreement, while Hidaka grinned, "Well, now that we're all done, do you guys have any plans?"

"I do," Domyouji grinned and puffed his chest out proudly, "I'm taking my newly graduated girlfriend out to dinner to celebrate on finally finishing school and getting the job she wanted! Her new employer was so happy with her work that she couldn't wait to hire, Saki!"

"Congratulations," Enomoto smiled, "You'll have to tell her we're all happy for her when you see her."

"I will~" The hyper orange haired boy was beaming.

Kamo looked at Hidaka, "As for the rest of us, I think it's safe to say we're doing nothing."

"Yeah, and Akiyama is with Hana so count him out, too," Benzai grinned a knowing grin.

"Boo," Hidaka glared and sighed, "Oh well, guess that means it's just another all-men drinking fest."

Fuse grinned and bellowed out his excitement while Benzai, Enomoto and Goto all grinned and nodded in agreement with Hidaka's plans.

"Well, you all enjoy yourselves and let me know if anything happens!" Before they could all reply to Domyouji, he'd already whisked out of the room.

"And, he's gone," Kamo sighed, "I don't know where he gets his energy."

"Agreed."

. . .

"Was the blindfold really necessary, Kuroh?" Kiyomi pouted as he carried her to wherever they were going, "I mean, not that I'm complaining but I'd really rather walk with you than be carried around in public like a child."

Kuroh chuckled softly, "You're on my back and many other couples do this in public, so there's no need to be bashful."

"How many couples have you see with their girlfriend's blindfolded while they're piggybacked to wherever it is their frustrating, handsome boyfriends bring them?" Kiyomi pointed out as her bro rose.

"You have a point, but I'm still not taking it off," Kuroh smiled, "Not until we get there."

Kiyomi sighed, "I wish it didn't have to come to this, but you leave me no choice," Hugging his neck a little tighter, she leaned forward and whispered softly in his ear in a very innocent tone, "Please, Kuroh-chan~?"

"The answer is still a no," Kuroh teased, earning a frustrated groan from the girl on his back, "Just relax and think positive."

"Not like I have much choice," Kiyomi said in a way that Kuroh could practically hear the pout in her voice.

He chuckled, "Since when are you like this?"

"Since I'm blindfolded and being taken somewhere in the middle of the day while we're in public," Kiyomi frowned, "I'm reacting the same way any girl would react in this position."

Kuroh couldn't help but roll his eyes at her persistence, "Say what you will, I know you'll enjoy it when you see it."

Kiyomi finally gave a sigh and leaned her head on his shoulder, "Fine, but this blindfold gets torched the minute it's taken off."

He chuckled, "Alright."

Kuroh continued walking for what seemed like hours to Kiyomi until she felt him walking downwards in a very choppy motion, immediately figuring he was going down a flight of stairs. When his walking became even again, she picked her head up and tried her hardest to look at the small, thin line of vision she had at the bottom of her blindfold.

"Alright," He gently sat her down and waited until she was sturdy on her feet before going behind her to untie the blasted piece of material, "We're here."

Kiyomi waited impatiently for Kuroh to finally remove the material and blinked several times once she was hit with a bright light. As her vision finally adjusted, she stared forward at what was in front of her in utter disbelief.

"Kuroh," Kiyomi inhaled sharply and felt her eyes water, "This is..."

"I know how much you've always wanted to go horseback riding, so I made arrangements with Reisi Munakata to borrow a couple of their horses and prepared a lunch for us," Kuroh rubbed her upper arms gently, "I wanted it to be a surprise."

Kiyomi looked back at him with tears in her eyes, "Really?" She reached up and placed one of her hands on top of his, "You're incredibly thoughtful."

"I'll accept that as your apology for that lack of trust earlier," He teased, kissing the side of her head before leading her towards the two dark steeds patiently waiting for them.

. . .

"My darling Reisi, what in the hell is this?" Eri's brows furrowed as she stared down at a package the Blue King placed in her hands.

It was thin and looked almost like an envelope one would put important documents in. Munakata simply smiled and waited patiently for her to open it, watching her as her finger tips gently pulled apart the top before sliding in to explore its contents.

"It has regrettably been far too long since I've taken you out for an evening free of work, so I hope you will join me," Munakata prompted.

Eri looked at him briefly before pulling out two pieces of paper that turned out to tickets to the opera that had just arrived in Shizume City. Her eyes went wide and the smile that graced her lips was one of the most beautiful Munakata had ever seen.

"Reisi, this is perfect," She quickly closed the distance between them and hugged his waist, "Thank you so much."

He smiled down at her and held her close, "I figured you were beginning to tire with me always being in my office, so consider this my apology for neglecting you."

Eri laughed softly, "Well, when you put it that way I suppose I have no choice."

Munakata leaned down and pressed his lips against her own in a very tender, loving kiss as she sighed against him. Keeping to a more sensual approach, his hands ran down her spine and pulled her lower half closer to him and maneuvered her so she was pressed against a wall.

It was these moments, no matter how few or how many, that she appreciated the most. Munakata always had a way of keeping her guessing and wouldn't disappoint. Those random moments of romance that would last seconds to full minutes were what she looked forward to the most, knowing they almost always had a very intimate encounter that very same day. It was a like a hunger that she craved when making love to the Blue King, enjoying the feelings and sensations that came with the territory even now that his powers were depleted. He still made her burn within and showered her with the love and care he had from the beginning, and that was all that truly mattered.

The topic of marriage had been brought up the day she met his family, who had been shocked to see their son let alone a woman he introduced to them first as his lover before even giving them her name. His elder brother teased him, saying that he had a lot of catching up to do considering he already had a niece and nephew. Surprisingly, Eri hadn't felt embarrassed or shy whenever his family would comment on how beautiful their offspring would look, but rather she found it endearing.

Eri would be lying if she said she hadn't pondered on how their kids would look like, mentally picturing a miniature version of herself and Munakata trying to mix the two together.

In regards to his parent's wishes, Munakata told them that the day would come when he would finally propose and take Eri as his bride but unfortunately his position as captain didn't give him the time she deserved. He promised on that day, he would retire from Scepter 4 to be with his wife and children so he wouldn't miss a single moment of their lives.

On that day, Eri would be more than willing to say _yes_.

. . .

"Wow, that interview lasted longer than I thought it would!" Kian groaned as she stretched, "I figured we'd only be here for an hour but it's almost supper time. Kusanagi must be wondering where the hell we disappeared to considering it's our turn to help with the bar tonight although I'm sure Dewa, Bando and Akagi are there helping as we speak."

Mia nodded and looked at her, "I'm sure he'll understand."

"Yeah, he's pretty easy going," Kian grinned, "Even more so now that he's married."

Eric looked down at Kian and nodded, "He was talking about training one of the others so he didn't have to be there every day. I think he wants to start his family now."

"About damn time," Fujishima chuckled, "He's in his thirties now so it's about time he has a kid or two and takes some time to relax."

"Kusanagi is in his thirties now?" Mia blinked, "No way."

Fujishimi nodded, "He's thirty-one actually."

"Holy shit," She shook her head, "And here I thought Mikoto was the oldest out of everyone. I mean, he married first after all."

"Being married has nothing to do with age?" Fujishima chuckled and gripped her hand.

Kian looked at her, "I agree. I always thought the oldest member of HOMRA would have been the leader, not a second under the King."

"Mm," Mia nodded, "I guess it's because Mikoto is lazy as fuck and never really did any work."

Both Fujishima and Eric chuckled at her bluntness, "That's our King, although when the situation calls for it he gets serious. He just knows when and where to exert his energy when it comes to clan issues."

"It's too bad we have to head back," Eric sighed, "We all got accepted into the school and we have no time to celebrate."

Fujishima looked at him, "Well, I could always call and see if they really need you guys?"

"That would be great," Eric smiled.

Pulling out his phone, Fujishima got in touch with Kusanagi and was pleasantly surprised when the elder male told him that it was a slow night and not to worry, "We have the night off, guys!"

"Yeah!" Kian grinned brightly, "Pizza for everyone!"

Mia laughed, "You only ever think of pizza lately."

"After working in a restaurant that only sells pasta dishes and hamburger platters, you learn to appreciate everything else," Kian sighed, "I still have nightmares of that place and to this pay I will not touch a burger unless I have to."

Mia looked at her and grimaced, "Well, I guess I have agree with you on that one. I wouldn't want to eat what I saw every single day for three years either."

"She doesn't have to worry about that now," Eric smiled, "She's got one more year until she graduates and goes on to being a nurse, so she'll never have to worry about working in the food industry ever again."

Kian giggled and smiled up at him, "Well at the rate you boys all injure yourselves, it's a wonder that none of you took up going through first aid training or done the course I'm doing."

"Tatara thought about it," Fujishima answered, "But because we healed faster with Mikoto's power, he never really pursued it."

"At the rate he changes his mind, he never would have finished a course like that," Mia pointed out bluntly.

Eric nodded, "I have to agree with her. Tatara's pretty spacey."

Kian grinned with Fujishima and Mia laughed.

. . .

Akiyama and Hana walked out of the door after finishing a wonderful meal and headed in the direction of a local hotel they used for their private nights out. The woman who ran and owned the hotel knew them by name and faces, usually always keeping their room empty for the chance they may show up.

"Ahh, such a beautiful night~" Hana sighed contently with a smile, "So calm and peaceful!"

Akiyama nodded with a chuckled, "It is."

She looked up at him and noticed the peculiar way he was smiling down at her, "Something wrong, Himori?"

"Not at all," He lifted his fingers to brush against her cheek, "Just admiring you in the moonlight, is all."

Hana felt her cheeks heat up and immediately looked away, "What a thing to say."

"Who would have thought that you would be bashful?" Akiyama grinned teasingly.

"It's not that," She huffed, "You just catch me off guard when you say things like that."

He smiled, "I see. Well I suppose getting you to admit that you're actually a woman instead of only half-woman, half-soldier would be a difficult task even for me. It must be a trait among Scepter 4 women, sadly."

Hana looked up at him with wide eyes, "Himori!"

"What? Just a thought," He chuckled and winked playfully, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"You better," Hana muttered under her breath, cheeks still hot from his previous comment.

"Oh, wow! Fancy meeting you guys here!"

Akiyama and Hana looked over to see a grinning Domyouji and Saki walking towards them, "You decided to take a night away from the others too?"

"Mm hmm!" Domyouji nodded, "I just had to take my lovely Saki out to celebrate her graduation and the new job she'd been wanting and actually got!"

Saki blushed but was grinning nonetheless, "Isn't he sweet?"

"He certainly is," Hana giggled, "I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting. I'm Hana Totchikawa and I work with these two in the Special Unit at Scepter 4."

The girl hanging onto Domyouji's arm grinned, "Nice to meet you, Hana. I'm Saki Okinawa."

"Likewise," The elder of the two smiled.

"Are you two on a date?" Domyouji's brows wiggled, "Or is it one of your _special_ date nights?"

Hana's cheeks flushed a faint pink while Akiyama blinked, "Well, since you caught us I guess you could say it's a bit of both."

"Ooou, so you two are having a similar night to us!"

Akiyama didn't exactly think boasting about having sex with his lover was something the orange haired male needed to openly share, but he knew better than to address that after meeting Saki for the first time years ago and knowing she was just like him.

Hana giggled and nodded, "I suppose so," She looked at Saki and then to Domyouji, "Congratulations again and be sure to have a couple drinks for us if you two decide to celebrate."

"We will!" Domyouji and Saki both said with bright grins before waving and walking off in the direction Akiyama and Hana had just come from.

"You were right, she's just like him," Hana blinked and looked up at Akiyama, "Scary, but cute at the same time."

He chuckled and nodded before taking her hand again and leading her along the sidewalk to the hotel.

. . .

"Alright, time to talk. Tell me what's going on before I figure it out on my own," Rin stared at Fushimi as the two sat in the spare bedroom alone after negotiating with the unruly HOMRA boys waiting outside the door.

Fushimi had been less than impressed that he was forced to sit down with the one he knew was a psychologist by trade, knowing that she would eventually ask one too many questions and pry into something she had no privy to.

"It's nothing serious," Fushimi narrowed his eyes at the floor, "So will you tell your boyfriend and his fellow attack dogs to calm the fuck down?"

Rin eyed him carefully, "How about we don't start off throwing insults and talk about how you've been feeling lately."

"You're going to throw that university jargon at me already?" He finally looked at her, "Who do you think you're dealing with? A child? I know what you're trying to do."

She inhaled deeply before sitting back, "Alright, let me rephrase that into something even you will understand," Her eyes narrowed and suddenly he felt like he'd been pinned down, "You look like shit and we want to know why you're acting out."

" _Acting out_?" His eyes narrowed.

"That's what it looks like to me," She met his hard gaze with her own, "You're behaving like a child who lashing out at the ones closest to him, which unfortunately is Keirsten and Keirsten alone."

Fushimi snarled, "This is none of your business!"

"I read the profile lieutenant Seri Awashima reluctantly delivered when Keirsten first spoke of her concerns," Rin crossed her arms, "Your father died at a relatively young age and your mother is out of the picture. Now hearing Misaki's own take on what he'd seen when the two of you first became friends, I think it's safe to say that your relationship with that man wasn't a good one."

He never answered her, so she continued.

"I've been told by more than one person that Niki Fushimi wasn't exactly a nice man," Rin sighed and looked out the window, "I, myself, have no good experiences dealing with male parental figures as my own father was somewhat of a let-down, but I believe I've been given a chance to do something that I know weighs heavily on your mind."

Fushimi's eyes narrowed at the floor, "Which is?"

"I got my closure and the chance to tell my father how I really felt," She said simply, looking right at him while repeating Yata's words from earlier that day when he pulled her aside to talk in private, "You're living with the regret of not being able to say those words to your father."

He didn't like the fact that she knew too much, nor did he appreciate the way the air was becoming suffocating and the walls seemed to slowly close in on him.

It was true that not being able to confront his father before he passed on was boiling up inside of him, but it wasn't enough to eat away at him. The man was a monster and knowing what he knew, Fushimi was aware that history could repeat itself should he finally settle down and have a life with Keirsten.

It was something he wouldn't admit aloud, but it bothered him. It bothered him more than it should.

"I'm not here to make you feel small or like we're all trying to pressure you, Saruhiko," Rin uncrossed her legs and stood up, "We just want to help you so we don't have to see you slowly wither away to nothing."

Fushimi never spoke even after she left the room, his mind still racing at her words from moments ago.

"Saru?" Yata was the one to slip into the room, closing the door behind him, "I come in peace, I promise. I just want to sit with you."

The glasses-clad male never looked up but visibly relaxed if only slightly when Yata walked across the room and took his spot on the chair Rin just occupied, "Come to laugh at me?"

"Why would you think I'd laugh at you?" Yata frowned, "Saruhiko, I've been worried as fuck about you. You're not eating and you're not sleeping."

Fushimi barely chuckled, "Since when are you so concerned about my health, Misaki?"

"Since I'm your best friend," He narrowed his hazel eyes at the dark haired boy, "I care, Saru. We all do. We wouldn't have come here and forced you to sit down with us if we didn't."

"She knew about _him_ ," Fushimi sneered, "You told her about that man, Misaki. Why?"

At first Yata felt the sting in his words, but he shrugged it off, "I only told her because she asked me about him when she'd gotten your file from that heartless bitch at Scepter 4. It was Kusanagi who asked her to read it over and give you an assessment. Kaori did, too."

"Assessment?" Fushimi scoffed, "I'm not mentally ill."

"I didn't mean it like that," Yata glared, "We just wanted to see if she could help you figure out what you're going through and offer you some advice. Rin sees this shit every single day so when Chitose brought it up, we all asked her if she'd help and she said yes."

"How considerate."

"Seriously, Saru," The russet sat back and sighed, "Does this really have everything to do with your father?"

Fushimi tensed considerably at the mention of that man, "So what if it does?"

"Why now?" Yata stared him down, "Why now of all times? He's been gone for years and it's never bothered you before."

"I don't care that he's gone," Fushimi snarled, "It's the fact that I'm now living with a woman and could eventually leave her like he did to my mother. The older I get, the more I see myself as him."

Yata watched him and frowned, "You're not Niki."

"I know I'm not, but I feel like he's pressuring me even now," Fushimi reached up and ran his fingers through his black hair, "What if Keirsten got pregnant? I couldn't do that to her."

The vanguard shook his head, "Don't talk like that, Saruhiko. Stop comparing yourself that man because you're not him."

"What if my kid turned out to be like him?" Fushimi looked at Yata and suddenly the russet haired boy realized how his closest friend felt from the depth of emotion in his onyx eyes, "Misaki, I can't fucking stand the idea that there's a possibility, no matter how small, that if I have a kid they'll turn out like him."

Yata looked at him seriously, "Saruhiko, are you saying that you want to have a family with her?"

Fushimi looked away from his friend, "It's not like I wanted to leave her if that's what you were thinking."

"Then why have you been avoiding her?" Yata frowned.

"I can't face her while I'm like this," Fushimi finally admitted, "Not like this."

"I think you should tell her that," Yata stood up and walked over so he could crouch down in front of his friend, "I'm going to get everyone out of here but before I do that, can you promise me that you'll talk to her?"

Fushimi looked at him, "... Fine."

"Good," He smiled and stood up, "And next time, just talk to me if something's bothering you. You had me worried sick."

Fushimi nodded slowly and watched as Yata left the room, clearly hearing as he instructed everyone to leave so he and Keirsten could be alone. After a few minutes of hustling and movement outside the bedroom door, it went silent and Fushimi finally stood up.

"Saru?" Keirsten looked up at him as he stepped out of the room, his eyes weary and almost sunken into the darkening circles under his eyes, "Are you alright?"

Fushimi looked down at her, "Can you make that dish you made the last time we had dinner together? Katsudon with chicken instead of pork."

"Sure," Keirsten smiled small but it was a soft, inviting smile.

She tentatively reached out to take his hand, extremely relieved when he didn't slap it away this time and led him to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry for all of this," Fushimi pulled her to a stop and looked down at her when she turned to look up at him, "For pulling away and making you worry."

Keirsten fully faced him and reached her other hand up to gently stroke his cheek, "You have to tell me when something is bothering you. Saru, you had me so worried I was going to ask Munakata to lock you up and force feed you."

He stared down at her and accepted her affection, soon closing his eyes to enjoy the feeling of her fingers brushing his cheek, "I never told you about my father."

"I... Overheard what was said when both Rin and Misaki spoke to you," Keirsten frowned slightly, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I couldn't stop myself. I needed to know if it was something I had done."

His brows furrowed but anger was vacant from his face, "He was a monster, there's no other way to describe him."

"You think you're like him?" She frowned.

Fushimi nodded slowly after a moment of silence, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I turned into him," Sighing, he pulled Keirsten to him and held her close, "I can still hear his voice and that condescending laughter of his whenever I sleep. He's been mocking me my entire life and he's doing it right now. It didn't matter what I did, that bastard always destroyed everything."

"Oh, Saru," Keirsten frowned and closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his waist and simply allowed him to hold her while he vented, "Why didn't you tell me that this was such a big burden to you?"

"He would have laughed in my face if I'd of told him I had a girlfriend," Fushimi scoffed, not entirely hearing her question as he continued to vent, "Not that he's any better. He got my mother pregnant and then fucked off, but that wouldn't matter. _'You, with a girl? Do you even know what a girl is, Saruhiko?'_ That's probably what he'd say, as well as insult me and tell me that I'm too incompetent for a girlfriend."

"You can't keep thinking like that, Saruhiko, or you're going to run yourself down past the point of no return," She took a gamble on what she was about to say and looked up at him, "What if this is how he wanted you to be? Saru, you can't let him win if this is how you feel."

Fushimi looked down at her with indifferent eyes, making her feel as though she'd made the incorrect choice of words until he released a heavy sigh and looked away, "You're right."

"I'm not trying make you– _HMPH_ –"

Keirsten stared wide eyed when Fushimi's lips crashed onto her own, slowly coming to hr senses and closing her eyes to kiss him back. It was short but full of emotion.

"Thank you," He looked down at her, "This isn't over but, I'm trying."

Keirsten grinned softly, "Just remember that if this happens again, I'm locking you up in the bedroom so you can't run off on me again. That, and I'll be force-feeding you for days."

"Fair enough," He leaned down and pressed his forehead against the top of her head.

. . .

Blake sighed as she sat back against her seat, "Finally, everything is finished!"

"You're so dedicated to your work," Shiro chuckled and smiled, "Come and lay down with me."

Blake looked over to see Shiro laying on her bed and smiled softly, "Mm, fine, but just because you look so comfortable," She got up and walked over, "Kiyomi and Kuroh are back at the school now, right?"

He nodded, "Neko met them after their little trail ride and picnic," He ran his fingers through her hair, "Let's not talk about them right now, though."

"Oh?" She grinned, "What shall we talk about, Adolf K. Weissman?"

"Well, we could talk about our future together," He grinned, "We can't all fit into the room at the school."

Blake giggled and grinned back, "Well, you all could move in here?"

"I suppose," He feigned a heavy sigh, "It will be hard to live somewhere else for the first time in so long, but I'm sure Neko and Kuroh will get over it."

Blake smiled, "They'll have their own spot so I'm sure they'll all appreciate their privacy."

"Indeed," He leaned down and kissed her gently, "Have you heard from Kaori and Mikoto?"

She nodded, "They're doing great. Kaori said that she wishes she hadn't had her uterus taken out because she said she'd love to have more kids although I'm sure Mikoto is happy with two of them and Anna."

"I don't know, he was pretty ecstatic when Kaori had Kaen and Alani," Shiro chuckled and smiled down at her, "What about you? Ever think of having a baby?"

Blake shrugged, "Uncle Joji always wanted me to have a few grand babies but I never really thought about it," She sighed at the memory of that day and grinned, "He'd laugh if he saw a bunch of kids running around with your silver hair."

"Yeah, he'd probably have quite a bit to say," Shiro closed his eyes to envision his closest friend, "We could always have one if you wanted?"

Blake grinned up at him, "Maybe," She stroked his cheek, "Let's get this wedding over with first."

* * *

 **Alright, now Imma say this once.**

 **THIS SERIES IS DONE. LOOL**

 **THIS IS IT. –shakes fist–**

 **Not that I don't love my series and sequel, it's just time to move on unfortunately. :(**

 **To answer your question, Tsukiyomi-Hio, the next miniseries I will be posting is with Izuna Uchiha, as well as my Yata/Reina miniseries that people have been requesting ever since the dawn of time (by that I mean since the second half of their story together in Series of Fortunate Events). :)**

 **Anywhoo, al that aside, I just want to repeat myself and say a huge thank you to all of you who have remained true readers and loyal followers! I love you all so very much, new or returning, and hope you will join me on the next set of journeys in the future! :)**

 **~ Kayori, out!**


	17. NOTICE (PLEASE READ)

Hey lovelies, Kayori here~! :D

So normally I don't do this but I figured it would be easier for me to address all of my returning readers in this rather than posting something on my main bio page since we all know that no one really reads that shit anyways. ;)

I just wanted to let you all know that I have two one shots posted for K Project that follow the story line of Breaking Point, with one of them actually explaining what the black power in Kaori was.

For those of you who have no read it, it's called 'An Unlikely Surprise', but I will explain it all here as well. :)

SO, AS THE BLACK POWER GOES ( ** _x-posted for An Unlikely Surprise_** ):

 _Before the fight went down between the allied clans and the Green clan, the entity inside of Kaori asked to see Kaen. With the similar energy that had been passed to him from Kaori as an inherited gene, the entity was able to pull it out of him and return it to her hosts body. In doing so, it was actually able to speed up regeneration. What I didn't want to hint to because all of you are too damn perceptive for your own good (and I tend to throw obvious hints sometimes, lets just face it) – is that the entity inside of Kaori was already rebuilding her body to the way it originally was. When Mikoto and Nagare fought and the Colorless King was inside of Kaori and made her jump in between them, Mikoto did take out the entity and in doing so, slowed down the process that was already being done._

 _In other words, Blake and Mikoto, no matter which one did it, would have interfered with the black entity's power;_ regeneration _. That was the trick behind choosing who would be the one to set it free, and that's the reason why Kaori would have (and had) lost her memories._

Now, I know I haven't really explained where the black power came from, but I do want you all to know that it was hereditary and was something that Kaori would have eventually woken up whether she wanted to or not.

As for the newest one shot posted, it's called 'Fushimi and Anna's Rough Day'. This was a birthday request and also something I had in mind when LaughterLover98 had asked for something in particular in regards to our darling Fushimi. ;)

Just so you all know, I will be posting a few more one shots for my OC's and their respective partners before I take a break from this fandom for a little while.

The list of what to expect goes as follows;

 _\- Yata and Reina miniseries (in the works - will be posted soon)_

 _\- Tatara and Kyra one shot (since we all want to see how they're doing)_

 _\- Kusanagi and Akira one shot (I had a user privately message me for this one, so it will be dedicated to you, love!)_

 _\- Mikoto and Kaori one shot (this will be posted on Kaori's birthday - I also will be posting something on Mikoto's birthday as well)_

 _\- One more mixed HOMRA one shot with all other pairings and possibly a couple new ones (like Dewa, Akagi, etc. etc.)_

 _\- Yukari one shot (personal request from myself because I've been wanting to pair him up with someone now for a while)_

I'm not going to add any dates to these as I am hurrying to finish a final course so I can go to university in September, but I can promise you all that I will do what I can to make sure all of these are posted in a relatively good time. ;)

As always, I love you all so much and hope you are all having lovely mornings/days/evenings! :D

~ Kayori, out!


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